Korea National Defense University promotes collaboration, global engagement

Felix Kim

The Korea National Defense University continues its tradition of global outreach with the recently launched Academy for International Security for officers from United States Forces Korea (USFK), as well as foreign diplomats and journalists. This follows a June 2024 visit by a NATO Defense College delegation, partly aimed at greater cooperation with the National Defense University.

The 10-week academy “is operated for the purpose of increasing the understanding of personnel from allied countries regarding our country’s defense policy and further contributing to solidifying the ROK [Republic of Korea]-U.S. alliance,” South Korea’s National Defense Ministry stated, using the nation’s formal name.

The academy, which runs through December 2024, includes topics such as security cooperation among Japan, South Korea and the U.S., the ministry stated. Significant developments over the past 18 months underscore the importance of the trilateral cooperation, largely driven by emerging security challenges from North Korea and the People’s Republic of China (PRC), and an increased emphasis on multilateral defense collaboration.

“The focus on this topic is crucial given the increasing emphasis on trilateral defense ties aimed at regional stability,” retired ROK Army Lt. Gen. In-Bum Chun told FORUM. “Attending these sessions helps USFK officers understand the political and strategic motives that drive trilateral collaboration, such as the rise of China and North Korea’s threats. This is especially important given recent shifts towards institutionalizing trilateral cooperation through joint military exercises and intelligence-sharing mechanisms.”

Other topics include South Korea’s security strategy, the longtime ROK-U.S. alliance, diplomacy, the United Nations Command, and Seoul’s defense science and technology policy.

Instructors include experts such as Kim Young-ho, National Defense University vice president, and Park Young-jun, director of the university’s Institute for National Security Studies.

“I believe this is a great initiative by the ROK,” Chun said. “It is critical for the international community to participate in these activities, especially for those who require a greater understanding of Korea.

“USFK officers’ participation ensures that they are well-prepared to coordinate not only with South Korean counterparts but also in a broader trilateral framework involving Japanese forces, thereby enhancing interoperability and collective security efforts,” he said.

The June course for NATO personnel was presented in accordance with the 32-member security alliance’s strategic concept, which identifies the PRC as an emerging strategic challenge regionally and globally, according to the NATO Defense College. The concept emphasizes the importance of strengthening dialogue and cooperation with regional partners to enhance global security, with a particular focus on the Indo-Pacific.

Participants toured notable sites on the Korean Peninsula, including the Demilitarized Zone, the U.N. Command Security Battalion – Joint Security Area, and Camp Humphreys, home to USFK as well as the U.N. Command and Combined Forces Command.

Lt. Gen. Max A.L.T. Nielsen, commandant of the NATO Defense College, and Lt. Gen. Lim Ki-hoon, director of the National Defense University, met to strengthen ties and discuss additional collaboration in research and other projects.

Felix Kim is a FORUM correspondent based in Seoul, South Korea.