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France, South Korea take big steps as defense partners

Felix Kim

France and South Korea are strengthening their defense ties through maritime cooperation, the sharing of advanced technology and defense industry collaboration.

With the islands of French Polynesia and New Caledonia part of its sovereign domain, France is the only European country with territory and a permanent military presence in the Indo-Pacific. France has stationed 7,000 troops in the region, and 1.5 million French citizens call it home, according to the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI).

French Armed Forces Minister Florence Parly told South Korean National Defense Minister Suh Wook when they met in Paris on February 14, 2022, pictured, that she hopes to see defense cooperation expand as part of efforts to contribute to the peace and stability of the region.

Defense engagements have included exchanges between senior military officials and joint participation in such events as the Ministerial Forum for Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific held in Paris on February 22, 2022. The forum featured a roundtable on the contribution of the European Union and its members to Indo-Pacific security and stability.

Increased engagement with France in maritime security could broaden South Korea’s defense capabilities, particularly with respect to threats posed by the People’s Republic of China (PRC), said Dr. Bruce Bennett, a Korea expert at the Rand Corp. French tactics and strategy differ from those of the United States, which are more familiar to South Korean military personnel, he said.

“What they learn from the French will give them some things that China might not be expecting,” Bennett told FORUM.

French President Emmanuel Macron and South Korean President Moon Jae-in signed an agreement in 2018 to step up defense industry collaboration, according to Yonhap, South Korea’s government-affiliated news agency. Parly and Suh confirmed in February 2022 that collaboration is happening in sectors including space, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI).

A leading French defense manufacturer, Thales Group, has been working closely with South Korean defense giants Hanwha Systems and LIG Nex1, along with smaller firms, in digital security and space technology.

AI is playing an increasingly significant role in both countries. Seoul and Paris launched a fund in 2018, for example, to support AI work with four Korean and French universities and research centers, according to IFRI. “AI allows for immediate responses to a variety of threats,” Bennett said, enhancing the capability of systems ranging from cybersecurity to drones.

“If you have good AI, you can put up a drone that operates largely autonomously,” he said.  “And that’s pretty attractive because you don’t want to put up just one or two drones. You’d like to put up 500 or a thousand.”

France is the world’s third-largest defense exporter, and South Korea is the sixth-largest, Bennett added. By collaborating and sharing technology, the nations can achieve synergies to serve their own defense needs and become even more prolific exporters.

Felix Kim is a FORUM contributor reporting from Seoul, South Korea.

 

IMAGE CREDIT: REPUBLIC OF KOREAMINISTRY OF NATIONAL DEFENSE

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