During a visit to Australia, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Yong-seok revealed on Wednesday that South Korea and Australia have held diplomatic and defense minister level talks on joining the Australia-UK-US Security Agreement (AUKUS), confirming plans to strengthen cooperation in advanced technology areas in terms of security.
On the 1st of May, local time in Australia, the two countries held the sixth Foreign and Defense Ministers (2+2) meeting in Melbourne, Australia, where they discussed South Korea’s potential participation in the trilateral security partnership between the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia known as “AUKUS”. At the joint press conference following the meeting, Shin Yong-seok welcomed the consideration of South Korea as a potential member of the second pillar partner countries within AUKUS. He also highlighted the contribution South Korea’s defense technology capabilities could make to the development of the second pillar of AUKUS and regional peace.
Australian Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Richard Marles stated during the meeting that the second pillar of AUKUS is about technical sharing agreement rather than a security alliance. He praised South Korea’s impressive technology and mentioned that as a strategic partner sharing common values with Australia, the two countries have already engaged in close cooperation in the technology field. Marles added, “There will be opportunities in the development of the second pillar, and we are also exploring these opportunities with Japan.”
The South Korean Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-wha, present at the meeting, emphasized that both South Korea and Australia mutually recognize each other as key partners in realizing the Indo-Pacific strategy and agreed to further enhance bilateral and multilateral cooperation. The meeting was also attended by Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong.
AUKUS announced last month that the US, UK, and Australia are considering cooperation with Japan in advanced defense technology fields, with negotiations expected to commence by the end of this year.
Established in September 2021, AUKUS aims to counter the ambitions of the Chinese Communist Party in the Indo-Pacific region. AUKUS has two main pillars. The first pillar focuses on providing Australia with a fleet of nuclear-powered attack submarines. Currently, there are no plans to invite new members to participate.
The second pillar aims to promote advanced capability technology projects, accelerate the collaborative development of key technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), quantum, advanced network capabilities, hypersonic capabilities, electronic warfare, and apply them to military purposes. Regarding the development of the second pillar project, AUKUS is evaluating and considering inviting suitable allies to participate.
US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell stated last month that many countries in the Indo-Pacific region are conducting crucial research and development in areas such as hypersonic, long-range strike capabilities, underwater capabilities, and networking related to AUKUS’ “second pillar”.
These advancements and strategic collaborations among countries reflect the ever-evolving security dynamics in the region and the efforts to maintain stability and security amidst geopolitical challenges.