South Korea and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) have signed an agreement on a mutual recognition process for military airworthiness certification. It is NATO’s first such deal with an Asian country. Under the deal signed yesterday, NATO will recognise the Seoul government’s airworthiness certification for South Korean-made planes. 

Korea’s Defence Acquisition Programme Administration and NATO’s Aviation Committee inked the agreement which is a key measure of a plane’s suitability for safe flight, on the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Washington. While South Korea has signed agreements with the United States, Spain, France and Poland, the new deal with NATO is expected to shorten the time required for mutual recognition with other NATO members. President Yoon Suk Yeol expressed hope that the mutual recognition process would help increase defence industry cooperation between South Korea and NATO members.