Home > National > Diplomacy

Lee's decision to skip NATO summit sparks concerns over lost opportunity to meet Trump

Published: 23 Jun. 2025, 16:59 Updated: 23 Jun. 2025, 17:40

President Lee Jae Myung speaks during his first senior secretaries and aides meeting at the presidential office in Yongsan District, central Seoul, on June 23. [JOINT PRESS CORPS]

President Lee Jae Myung's decision made Sunday to skip the upcoming NATO summit — announced just two days before the event — has raised concerns that Korea may forgo its first opportunity for a summit with U.S. President Donald Trump.

Those worries heighten after reports that Trump plans to convene leaders from the Indo-Pacific Four (IP4) — South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand — on the sidelines of the event.

Trump abruptly left the Group of 7 (G7) summit in Canada on June 17, citing turmoil in the Middle East, which canceled what could have been his first summit meeting with Lee.

President Lee’s decision to skip the NATO summit makes a summit meeting at a multilateral forum unlikely for now.

Heightened uncertainty in the Middle East adds complexity to planning bilateral trips — either Trump to Seoul or Lee to Washington.

Their first in‑person summit may now wait until the UN General Assembly in New York in September or the APEC summit in Gyeongju, North Gyeongsang, in October.

Immediately after the G7, the presidential office celebrated that “democratic Korea is back,” highlighting a return to summit diplomacy.

However, Lee’s sudden absence from NATO drew criticism that his foreign policy consistency has faltered.

The Nikkei reported on Monday, citing a senior NATO official, that Trump was preparing a separate IP4 meeting — and that Lee was expected to attend.

Though Trump’s summit attendance remained unconfirmed, the report emerged immediately after President Lee announced his decision to skip the meeting, prompting observers to note the awkward timing.

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks from the East Room of the White House in Washington on June 21. [AP/YONHAP]

The presidential office responded that it needed to “check the facts.”

“After the G7, we’ve seen growing bonds with fellow liberal democracies,” said Kim Jae‑cheon, a professor at Sogang University’s Graduate School of International Studies. “Lee’s decision to skip NATO amid Middle East concerns may give the impression that it’s a temporary pause.”

In a June 22 roundup of reactions to U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites, the New York Times noted that South Korea's top security officials "huddled on Sunday to discuss the potential impact on [South] Korea's security and economy."

South Korea’s Foreign Ministry said that “the government places importance on resolving the Iranian nuclear issue from a non‑proliferation perspective and is monitoring closely developments regarding attacks on nuclear facilities in Iran.”

"The government hopes regional tensions ease quickly and will continue contributing to international efforts,” the ministry said.

But critics say the South Korean government has stopped short of addressing the illegality of Iran’s nuclear program or directly evaluating the recent U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, instead signaling its stance by withdrawing from the upcoming NATO summit.

Some observers warn that such a response — particularly from a country directly involved in the North Korean nuclear issue — could send the wrong message internationally, especially as Seoul continues to distance itself from the Middle East conflict.

“The latest crisis could have been a chance for South Korea to reframe global nuclear concerns and build international consensus, including on North Korea,” said Kang Jun-young, a professor at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies’ Graduate School of International and Area Studies. “Regardless of whether Trump attends the NATO summit, Korea’s absence might appear overly mindful of China and Russia.”

Washington, meanwhile, has made clear it expects Seoul to adopt NATO-level defense spending guidelines.

NATO members recently agreed to spend 5 percent of their GDP on defense by 2035. South Korea currently allocates 2.3 percent, meaning it would have to nearly double military expenditures to match the target.

Germany's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, center left, and NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, right, participate in a wreath laying ceremony to mark the 70th anniversary of Germany's accession to NATO at NATO headquarters in Brussels, Belgium on April 28. [AP/YONHAP]

Critics say by missing the summit, Seoul has lost an opportunity to engage with NATO members facing similar budgetary pressures and to coordinate high-level security responses.

The presidential office said it would consult with NATO on sending a delegate, but delays in appointing a prime minister and cabinet, including a foreign minister, have made it difficult to name a replacement on short notice.

Australia, another member of the IP4, has had Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles attend the NATO summit in place of Prime Minister Anthony Albanese both this year and last.

When then-U.S. President Joe Biden met with IP4 leaders at last year’s summit, Australia also sent its deputy prime minister.

However, since Marles also holds the defense portfolio, Australia has more experience delegating top-level diplomatic functions to deputy leaders than South Korea.

Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
BY PARK HYUN-JU [[email protected]]