Relations between the ROK and Russia,5 for which 2010 signals the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, are steadily developing in various areas. In September 2008, the relationship between the two nations was elevated to a 'strategic cooperative partnership,' and in step with this, the level of cooperation in various sectors including politics, economy, energy and space technology are being reinforced.
,QWKH52.0LQLVWHURI1DWLRQDO'HIHQVHDQGWKH3UHVLGHQWRIWKH Army College visited Russia, and in turn, the Russian Commander of the
$LU)RUFHWKH&RPPDQGHURIWKH3DFL¿F)OHHWDQGWKH&KLHIRIWKH5XVVLDQ General Intelligence Directorate visited Korea. Meetings between the ROK
4. ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus (ADMM-Plus)
A new security consultative body launched in 2010 that expanded the previous ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting, held since 2006, and which included 10 countries, to include eight major countries in the Asia-Pacific region (ROK, U.S., Japan, China, Russia, India, Australia and New Zealand).
Friendly Visit of the PLA Navy ship Zheng He (Jinhae, October 2009)
5. Development of ROK-Russia relations
· Constructive and mutually complementary partnership (1994).
· Comprehensive partnership of mutual trust (2004).
· Strategic cooperative partnership (2008).
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95
and Russian Air Forces, academic seminars between the ROK Institute for Military History Compilation and the Russian Institute of Military History were held in Seoul and Moscow, respectively.
In 2010, a number of events were held in both countries in celebration of the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the ROK and Russia.
In November, the defense conferences sponsored by the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses were held in Seoul, where evaluations and forecasts were made regarding military cooperation between the ROK and Russia, and in the future, the two nations will continue to expand their exchanges and cooperative programs in the defense area.
2. Defense Cooperation with Countries outside the Region
| Southeast Asia and Oceania |
Through the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the Southeast Asian region maintains dynamic regional cooperation in the political, economic, and security sectors. This region is gradually becoming more important in terms of LVVXHVVXFKDVLQWHUQDWLRQDO¿QDQFLDOFULVHVFOLPDWHFKDQJHIRRGHQHUJ\and security, and also accounts for the third largest volume of trade with Korea, ffollowed by China and the EU. In particular, with more than 30 SHUFHQWRI.RUHDVWUDGHYROXPHDQGSHUFHQWRIWKHSHWUROHXPLPSRUWHG into Korea passing through the Strait of Malacca, cooperation with the relevant countries is vital to securing stable sea lanes of communication.
The ROK Government is seeking to enhance friendly relations with Asian countries and the common prosperity of Asia-Pacific countries under the policy tenet of 'New Asia Diplomacy.'6,QSDUWLFXODULQ0DUFKWKH ROK president toured Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand, and in June, KHDOVRDWWHQGHGWKH.RUHD$6($16SHFLDO6XPPLWEHIRUHWRXULQJ9LHWQDP and Cambodia in October, thereby forming close relations with Asian countries.
$WWKH52.9LHWQDP6XPPLWLQ2FWREHUWKHUHODWLRQVEHWZHHQ the two nations was elevated to 'strategic cooperative partnership,'7 and the two nations agreed to open strategic dialogues regarding foreign affairs and security. The two nations' assessment of their past defense industrial cooperation and military exchanges was positive, and it was agreed that military exchanges would be expanded in the future. At the ROK-ASEAN
6. The New Asia Diplomacy
This refers to the principle in which the Asian nations develop a comprehensive cooperative relationship that spans all sectors, such as the political, economic, security and social areas, and thereby take a leading role in resolving global issues including the global financial crisis and climate change.
7. Development of ROK-Vietnam Relations
· 21st century comprehensive partnership (2001).
· Strategic cooperative partnership (2009)
Courtesy Visit from the Commander of the Russian Air Force to the Air Force Chief of Staff (Seongnam, October 2009)
Strait of Malacca Strait of Malacca Borneo Sea
Sumatra Island Malay Pen.
Summit in October 2010, the relations between the two nations were elevated to that of a 'strategic partnership,' thereby building the foundation for the future-oriented development of the relationship.
,Q2FWREHUWKH'HIHQVH0LQLVWHURI0DOD\VLDYLVLWHG.RUHDDQG agreed to promote increased defense exchange and cooperation between the two countries. In December, the ROK Minister of National Defense visited Singapore and the Philippines and signed an MOU on Korea-Singapore Defense Cooperation8DQGDQ028RQ.RUHD3KLOLSSLQHV0XWXDO/RJLVWLFV Cooperation.9 Also, the Minister visited Indonesia in August 2010 and 9LHWQDPLQ2FWREHUWRH[FKDQJHYLHZVRQUHJLRQDOVHFXULW\FRQGLWLRQV and discuss measures to enhance exchanges and cooperation and defense industrial cooperation.
Defense diplomacy with the Oceania nations is centered on Australia and New Zealand. The MND holds Defense Policy Talks every year to discuss mutual security interests and measures to broaden defense cooperation with the ministries of defense of Australia and New Zealand, and is also strengthening bilateral and multilateral cooperation regarding international security issues, such as counter-terrorism and anti-proliferation activities.
,Q0DUFK3UHVLGHQW/HH0\XQJEDNYLVLWHG$XVWUDOLDDQGDGRSWHG the 'Joint Statement on Enhanced Global and Security Cooperation between Australia and the Republic of Korea,'10 whereby the two nations agreed to reinforce cooperation with respect to overcoming economic crises and UHVSRQGLQJWRWUDQVQDWLRQDODQGQRQPLOLWDU\WKUHDWV,Q0D\WKH ROK and Australia signed the 'General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA)' and the two countries will continue to enhance cooperation in areas such as international peacekeeping operations, military educational and training exchanges, and the defense industry.
| Southwest Asia |
The ROK Government is enhancing its defense exchanges and cooperation with Southwest Asian nations such as India and Pakistan through the exchange of visiting graduate students at the National Defense University, dispatching military officers for entrusted education, DUUDQJLQJYLVLWVE\WKHFUXLVHWUDLQLQJÀHHWHWFDue to its rapid economic growth, India has recently emerged as a regional leader. In 2010, the ROK Government and the Government of India entered into the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement
8. MOU on Korea-Singapore Defense Cooperation
This memorandum of understanding (MOU) enhances comprehensive cooperation in the defense area, including reciprocal visits by senior level military officers, training and educational exchanges, military medicine, military sports, etc.
9. MOU on Korea-Philippines Mutual Logistics Cooperation
This memorandum of understanding (MOU) lays out the entities eligible for reciprocal logistical support, and the procedure thereof, in the event of combined operations by the two nations' military, PKOs, or disaster relief activities or contingency situations
10. ROK-Australia Joint Statement on Global and Security Cooperation In this joint statement, the two nations agreed to reinforce cooperation regarding major security issues, such as joint actions to be taken against transnational and non-military threats, global financial crises, international peacekeeping operations, etc.
Korea-Australia Defense Policy Talks (Seoul, August 2010)
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97
(CEPA). In September 2010, the MND held the ROK-India Defense Ministers' Meeting, where the two nations entered into an MOU regarding defense cooperation and an MOU on defense research and development cooperation, thereby providing the foundation for building strategic defense cooperative relations.
,Q$SULOWKH52.*RYHUQPHQWSDUWLFLSDWHGLQWKH)ULHQGVRI Democratic Pakistan (FODP) Meeting and made clear its support of Pakistan's important role in the implementation of anti-terrorist actions and promised humanitarian aid of 200 million US dollars. In the future, it plans to gradually expand personal exchanges, such as educational exchange SURJUDPVIRUVWXGHQWRI¿FHUV
| The Middle East |
The Middle East is the region from which Korea imports petroleum and where Korean companies take on large-scale JRYHUQPHQWSURMHFWV,QSDUWLFXODULQ'HFHPEHUWKH.RUHD(OHFWULF Power Corporation (KEPCO) won the bid for building a nuclear power plant in the UAE.The MND is actively promoting exchanges between senior-level military officers and those of Middle Eastern countries in order to strengthen IULHQGVKLSDQGGHIHQVHLQGXVWULDOFRRSHUDWLRQ,Q-DQXDU\WKH,UDTL Minister of Defense visited Korea for the first time, and the two nations discussed the enhancement of their defense industrial cooperation through the Defense Ministers' Meeting, thereby paving the way for Korea's GHIHQVHLQGXVWU\WRFRPPHQFHH[SRUWLQJWR,UDT,Q2FWREHUVHQLRU OHYHORI¿FHUVIURP-RUGDQYLVLWHG.RUHDIRUWKH6HRXO,QWHUQDWLRQDO
$HURVSDFH 'HIHQVH([KLELWLRQ6(28/$'(;DWZKLFKWLPH the two nations entered into the Defense Cooperation Agreement. In 1RYHPEHUWKH52.0LQLVWHURI1DWLRQDO'HIHQVHYLVLWHGWKH8$(WR discuss measures for promoting defense cooperation; in February 2010, the General Chief of Staff of the UAE visited Seoul, and the two nations agreed to defense exchanges and cooperation, to enhancing defense industrial cooperation and to holding regular senior-level military talks. In the future, the ROK plans to expand defense cooperation with not only Saudi Arabia, DVWKHFRUHEXWDOVR/LE\D4DWDUDQGRWKHU0LGGOH(DVWHUQFRXQWULHV
Signing of the ROK-India Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (Seoul, September 2010)
Courtesy Visit of the UAE General Chief of Staff to the ROK Defense Minister (Seoul, February 2010)
| Europe |
The MND is deepening its defense exchanges and cooperation with major European countries with whom the ROK has WUDGLWLRQDOO\PDLQWDLQHGIULHQGO\UHODWLRQVWKHUHE\¿UPO\HVWDEOLVKLQJWKH foundation for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and Northeast Asia.The Turkish Defense Minister visited the ROK in order to enter into DQDJUHHPHQWRQHOHFWURQLFZDUIDUHWUDLQLQJHTXLSPHQWLQ$SULODQG during this visit, the two nations reconfirmed their traditionally robust alliance and discussed measures to promote cooperation in the defense industry.
,Q0DUFKWKH%ULWLVK9LFH&KLHIRI6WDIIRI'HIHQVHYLVLWHG6HRXO in July the 7th'HIHQVH3ROLF\7DONVZHUHKHOGDQGLQ2FWREHUWKH9LFH 0LQLVWHURI3URFXUHPHQWYLVLWHG6HRXO,Q-DQXDU\WKH52.9LFH Minister of Defense visited the United Kingdom and France, where he exchanged views with his counterparts regarding the defense acquisition system, defense industry policies, and overseas export subsidies.
The Defense Policy Talks that had been held at the director-general level between the ROK and France, over the course of nine meetings, were elevated to strategic talks at the deputy minister level in 2007 and defense issues were discussed. During the 3rd ROK-France strategic talks in 'HFHPEHUWKHWZRQDWLRQVH[FKDQJHGYLHZVUHJDUGLQJWKHGLVSDWFKRI the ROK's protective units to the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Afghanistan.
The ROK is expanding the boundaries of its defense diplomacy to Eastern European countries by engaging in comprehensive defense cooperation. In 6HSWHPEHUWKH52.DQG3RODQGHQWHUHGLQWRWKH*HQHUDO6HFXULW\RI Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), and at the end of 2010, the two nations intend to enter into the Defense Cooperation Agreement. In )HEUXDU\WKH52.DQG/LWKXDQLDKHOG'HIHQVH0LQLVWHUV0HHWLQJV for the first time and signed an MOU on defense cooperation. In the future the MND will continue to expand comprehensive exchanges and cooperation with countries in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)11 and other Eastern European countries.
| Other Regions |
,Q'HFHPEHUWKH52.*RYHUQPHQWKHOGWKH3rd Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Forum12 in Seoul; in February 2010, the
Lithuanian Defense Minister's visit to Korea (MND Welcoming Reception, February 2010)
11. Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS)
The CIS is a union of independent nations that until 1991 were part of the former USSR.
12. Korea-Central Asia Cooperation Forum A consultative body to support the economic development of Central Asian countries by sharing Korea's experience in economic development, and to discuss ways of reinforcing cooperation in various sectors including information and communications, construction, pop culture, education and tourism.
ROK-Turkey Defense Ministers' Meeting (Seoul, April 2009)
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99
Uzbek President visited Korea; and in April the Kazakh President visited the ROK. Through these events, the ROK and the countries of Central Asia are expanding their cooperative relations beyond the energy and resource sectors to include various sectors, such as the military, construction, culture DQGWRXULVPVHFWRUV,Q'HFHPEHUWKHst ROK-Uzbekistan defense policy talks were held in Seoul. In February 2010, the defense ministries of the two nations signed the 'Korea-Uzbekistan MOU on Defense Industrial Cooperation.' In September 2010, the Defense Minister of Kazakhstan visited Korea, for the first Defense Ministers' Meeting between the two countries, at which they consulted one another about the development of defense exchanges and cooperation.
In October 2010, the second defense policy talks were held with Uzbekistan and Ukraine, respectively.
The ROK donated eight A-37 aircraft to Peru and is in other ways JUDGXDOO\H[SDQGLQJLWVGHIHQVHH[FKDQJHVDQGFRRSHUDWLRQZLWK/DWLQ American countries as well. In February 2010, it sent the Danbi Unit to Haiti, contributing to the expansion of exchanges and cooperation with /DWLQ$PHULFDQFRXQWULHV
Pursuant to the ROK Government's policy of expanding its cooperation with African nations, it is pursuing exchanges in the defense area with such nations as well. In September 2010, it sent an MND on-site investigation team to Gabon and Equatorial Guinea in West Africa to assess the possibility of exchanges and cooperation and to build a channel for cooperation regarding defense industry exports.