South Korea’s defense minister has said the country could strengthen military cooperation with rival Japan, as the two US allies work to increase regional security against threats such as those posed by North Korea.
Suh Wook, who held talks last week with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on their first trip abroad since taking office, said Seoul sees Japan as one of its crucial security partners and wants to continues its cooperation with the neighbor in partnership with the USA
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 that Korea-Japan security cooperation is also a valuable asset, which is why we need to maintain this,” Suh said in an interview. of Bloomberg Television, the day after the end of talks with US envoys.
Blinken and Austin’s visits to Tokyo and Seoul seem to help thaw the cool relations between the neighbors, who host most of the American troops in the region. Ties collapsed during President Donald Trump’s tenure as tensions over historical differences reached a trade dispute that at one point threatened global semiconductor supply lines and nearly led South Korea to drop a deal. common exchange of information.
The defense minister also said that Seoul will continue to develop its alliance with the new Biden administration, allowing it to play a greater security role on the international stage.
The government of President Moon Jae-in has engaged in one of the largest military accumulations in the country in recent years, trying to add an aircraft carrier and a nuclear-powered submarine. The measures will allow it to project more power abroad and comes after the Trump administration pushed Seoul to increase its presence in international security agreements, such as guarding the Middle East waterways from which South Korea receives the most. part of its oil.
The Biden administration also sought help from the Allies to form a policy against what Blinken called Chinese “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 abandon its nuclear arsenal.
Suh said there has been progress in the long-delayed transfer of command of war troops known as the Operational Control Authority or OPCON, from the USA to South Korea and highlighted the one from South Korea The new southern policy, aimed at raising ties with Southeast Asia and India.
Here are some important points from the interview:
Regarding cooperation in Japan:
“It simply came to our notice then sense that Korea-Japan relations are needed in terms of defense cooperation. We will continue to hold military talks and we will continue to cooperate in the future. ”
In aircraft carrier plans:
“It is to prepare for potential threats in the future – a matter of coverage for the Korean Peninsula – and to provide flexibility for issues such as humanitarian assistance, which we believe is necessary.
When transferring to OPCON:
“In fact, there is not much difference in bringing the current combined forces command to a future version of the combined forces command, other than changing the position of the commander-in-chief and the deputy commander-in-chief. In this sense, our position on training does not change much except for the citizenship of the Commander-in-Chief, so we believe that there is no need to worry about the issue of our training position. ”
Regarding the regional strategy:
“We have a principle that our New Southern Policy can be the same as regional cooperation in addressing various issues. We believe that we can work with other countries that are also pursuing the New Southern Policy on the various sectors through cooperation. ”
About China:
“We also explained the dialogue we had with our Chinese military counterparts, in particular on the establishment of a hotline for further intercommunication on the flight in the Korean Air Defense Identification Zone – how we are discussing the problem and we take action in this regard. ”
About global policy:
“We will continue to develop the alliance into a complementary and forward-looking global alliance, while broadening the horizons of cooperation,” he said in written comments to accompany the interview.
– With the assistance of Shinhye Kang
(Updates with comments about China.)