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South Korea reaffirms ‘peace through strength’ as North threatens more missile deployments

Felix Kim

Facing escalating threats from North Korea — including the regime’s growing nuclear and missile capabilities and its deepening ties with Russia — South Korean defense leaders are reaffirming the nation’s commitment to building an “elite, advanced and powerful military” under the doctrine of “peace through strength.”

The strategy focuses on reinforcing South Korea’s longtime alliance with the United States, enhancing trilateral security cooperation with Japan and the U.S., and expanding partnerships with international entities such as the United Nations Command (UNC) and NATO.

South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik stressed the seriousness of North Korea’s plans to deploy 250 new tactical ballistic missile launchers along the Demilitarized Zone separating the nations, which could potentially target Seoul and nearby areas with nuclear warheads.

“Despite opposition from the international community, North Korea is continuously advancing its nuclear and missile capabilities,” Shin told the National Assembly Defense Committee in August 2024. He also highlighted the threat posed by the North’s recently signed comprehensive strategic partnership treaty with Russia, which he described as a significant destabilizing factor not only on the Korean Peninsula but across the Indo-Pacific and beyond.

Pyongyang’s planned missile deployment, which violates U.N. Security Council resolutions, could put South Korea at greater risk of attack. “These missiles can force the South Korean military to consume the stockpile of missile interceptors rapidly,” Dr. Kim Jae Yeop, a senior researcher at the Sungkyun Institute for Global Strategy, told FORUM.

Seoul’s strategy emphasizes solidifying the alliance with the U.S., particularly related to nuclear deterrence. The allies established the Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG) to coordinate extended nuclear deterrence initiatives. The Guidelines for Nuclear Deterrence and Nuclear Operations on the Korean Peninsula, released in July 2024, outline the joint doctrine for using nuclear deterrence to counter North Korean threats.

“The NCG has upgraded the ROK [Republic of Korea]-U.S. Alliance from one centered on conventional forces to a solid nuclear-based alliance,” Shin said, using South Korea’s formal name. That has enhanced the alliance’s ability to respond to the North’s increasingly sophisticated threats, ensuring that South Koreans can live in peace and safety under a robust deterrence posture, he said.

Kim said the allies are pursuing a strategy to integrate South Korea’s conventional military capabilities with U.S. strategic assets, such as long-range bombers, to present a unified deterrent against provocations. “It is to ensure that the deterrence posture on the Korean Peninsula … will be planned and conducted jointly by both Seoul and Washington,” he said.

Shin, who was nominated in mid-August 2024 to become South Korea’s national security advisor, has advocated for expanding trilateral security cooperation with Japan and the U.S. The initiative encompasses intelligence sharing and military exercises such as Freedom Edge, which includes air, cyber and maritime operations. The partnership carries strategic value in countering threats from North Korea, the People’s Republic of China and Russia, Kim said.

Shin also called for increased global security cooperation, particularly with the UNC, which enforces the 1953 armistice that ended Korean War hostilities, and with the 32-member NATO security alliance. Germany’s recent inclusion as the UNC’s 18th member highlights the growing international support for South Korea’s defense efforts.

“The stronger involvement of international partners like NATO is expected to bolster the legitimacy and initiative of [South] Korea for peace and security on the Korean Peninsula,” while countering the emerging North Korea-Russia partnership, Kim said.

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

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