Sejong Focus

(August 2022 No. 39) Results of the NATO Summit in Madrid and Korea-NATO Cooperation Plan

Date 2022-08-01 View 1,818

 

 

Results of the NATO Summit in Madrid and Korea-NATO Cooperation Plan​

 

Ko Sangtu

(stko@yonsei.ac.kr)       

Professor of Area Studies, 

Yonsei University

 

English Abstract

 

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Madrid approved the 2022 strategic concept. The core content of the concept is that Russia and China are the  main  factors  that  threaten  the  security  of  the  North  Atlantic  Treaty Organization. Given that Russia and China are neighboring countries of the Korean Peninsula, there is a possibility that there will be a connection between the security interests of South Korea and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Furthermore, the two sides share the institutional value of democracy. From this perspective, South Korea needs to seek constructive cooperation with NATO. Until now, South Korea has improved its level of cooperation with NATO to a partner in dialogue; from now on, it should consider upgrading its cooperation level with NATO to an "improved opportunity partner."