South Korea’s defense secretary said the country could strengthen its military cooperation with rival Japan as the two US allies work to strengthen regional security against threats such as those from North Korea.
Suh Wook, who last week held talks with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on their debut trip abroad since taking office, said Seoul views Japan as one of its crucial security partners and cooperation with neighboring countries. in China. partnership with the US.
Suh Wook in Seoul on March 19.
Photographer: Jean Chung / Bloomberg
“What protects the Korean Peninsula is centered around the Korea-US alliance, but we believe the security cooperation between Korea and Japan is also a valuable asset, and so we need to preserve it,” Suh said in a Bloomberg Television interview. one day after the end of the talks with the American envoys.
The visits to Tokyo and Seoul by Blinken and Austin proved to help unfreeze the cold relations between the neighbors, who house most of the US forces in the region. The ties collapsed during President Donald Trump’s tenure as tensions over historical differences sparked a trade conflict that at one point threatened global semiconductor supply lines and nearly led South Korea to negotiate a joint intelligence-sharing agreement. to give.
The Defense Minister also said Seoul would continue to develop its alliance with the new Biden government, allowing it to play a greater security role on the international stage.
President Moon Jae-in’s administration has embarked on one of the country’s largest military structures in years, with the aim of adding an aircraft carrier and a nuclear-powered submarine. The measures would allow it to project more power overseas and comes after the Trump administration pushed Seoul to increase its presence in international security arrangements such as guarding Middle East waterways of which South Korea is the largest. receives part of its oil.
The Biden government has also sought help from allies to formulate policies against what Blinken Chinese called “aggression and coercion,” which puts South Korea in a difficult position. Beijing is its largest trading partner and a key player in convincing North Korea to phase out its nuclear arsenal.
Suh said progress had been made in the long-delayed transfer of wartime troop management known as the Operational Control Authority, or OPCON, from the US to South Korea and put South Korea in the spotlight New Southern Policy, aimed at strengthening ties with Southeast Asia and India.
Here are some highlights from the interview:
About cooperation with Japan:
“There is indeed a matter of history-related issues, but us to feel that relations between Korea and Japan are needed in terms of defense cooperation. We will continue to have military talks and cooperation in the future. “
About aircraft carrier plans:
“It’s meant to prepare for potential threats in the future – a matter of reach for the Korean Peninsula – and to ensure flexibility on things like humanitarian aid, which is why we think it’s necessary.”
On OPCON transfer:
“Actually, there is not much difference in transferring the current combined forces command to a future version of the combined forces command, besides switching the positions of the commander in chief and the deputy commander in chief. In that sense, our attitude to readiness has little different from the citizenship of the commander in chief, so we think we don’t need to worry about the issue of our readiness attitude. “
About regional strategy:
“We have the principle that our New Southern Policy can be like regional cooperation in terms of addressing different issues. We believe that we can cooperate with other countries that, through cooperation, also pursue the New Southern Policy in terms of different sectors. “
On China:
“We also explained the dialogue we have had with our Chinese military counterparts, especially on setting up a hotline to continue communication between them about flying to the Korea Air Defense Identification Zone – how we discuss the issue and take action against doing business. . “
About Global Policy:
“We will continue to develop the alliance into a complementary and forward-looking global alliance while broadening the horizon of collaboration,” he said in written comments accompanying the interview.
– With the help of Shinhye Kang
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