S. Korea, NATO to launch negotiations on basic procurement agreement: Seoul official

South Korea and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization agreed Tuesday to launch negotiations on a framework agreement on procurement, a move expected to pave the way for the Asian country's entry into the transatlantic alliance's defense procurement industry, a presidential official said.

The agreement was reached as President Lee Jae Myung held a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to discuss bilateral cooperation on the sidelines of the NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey, Seoul's Nationa