ROK / South Korea
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Northeast Asia
Joint bomber exercise, arms buildup contradict Xi’s statements on nuclear weapons
FORUM Staff A joint nuclear-capable bomber drill by Beijing and Moscow near Japan in late November 2024 drew condemnation and called into question Chinese Communist Party (CCP) General Secretary Xi Jinping’s past pronouncements against nuclear proliferation. The military exercise over the East China Sea and the Sea of Japan also tightened the links between the CCP and Russia, which repeatedly…
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Conflicts - Tensions
Kyiv, Seoul deepen security ties over North Korea’s troop deployment to Russia
Agence France-Presse South Korea and Ukraine will enhance their security cooperation in response to North Korea’s troop deployment to bolster Russia’s illegal war against Ukraine. The announcement followed a November 2024 meeting between South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Ukrainian Defense Minister Rustem Umerov after the countries expressed alarm about Pyongyang sending thousands of soldiers to western Russia. Yoon…
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Conflicts - Tensions
Malaysia, South Korea boost defense industry ties
Reuters Malaysia and South Korea have agreed to cooperate in supplying critical minerals from Malaysia’s reserves and to boost defense industry cooperation as the Southeast Asian country seeks to upgrade its Air Force jets. Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol also affirmed their commitment to conclude a free trade agreement by 2025, Yoon’s office…
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Northeast Asia
South Korea-U.S. alliance expands to address cyber, space threats
Felix Kim In a significant advance for the South Korea-United States alliance, cyber and space threats have been formally recognized as potential triggers under the nations’ 1953 Mutual Defense Treaty, expanding the scope of cooperation beyond traditional military domains. The evolution, announced following the recent bilateral ministerial meeting in Washington, D.C., reflects growing concerns over intensified North Korea-Russia security collaboration,…
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Global Commons
ROK, U.S. troops review technology that detects, analyzes electronic intrusions
U.S. Forces Korea Combined Republic of Korea (ROK) and United States forces recently got firsthand looks at a PR-200 spectrum analyzer designed to detect electromagnetic intrusions, signals of interest and jamming within a contested area. U.S. Army Sgt. 1st Class Elliot Rappoport demonstrated the device during a team-building session at Camp Humphreys, South Korea, in mid-October 2024. Practical exercises showed…
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Conflicts - Tensions
North Korea-Russia military ties require coordinated response to maintain Indo-Pacific stability
U.S. Army 8th Theater Sustainment Command, National Security Law Team North Korea’s increasing military support for Russia, including arms shipments and deployment of 10,000 troops for Moscow’s illegal war against Ukraine, raises significant strategic and legal concerns for the Indo-Pacific. It signals a deepening alliance between two authoritarian regimes seeking to counter the influence of the United States and its…
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Free and Open Indo-Pacific/FOIP
CCP coercion stands in stark contrast to Coast Guard cooperation by Allies and Partners
FORUM Staff An increasingly aggressive coast guard signals the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) willingness to risk escalation in the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait, analysts say. Meanwhile, like-minded nations are cooperating to uphold stability in the region. Rather than focusing on traditional law enforcement missions targeting smugglers or providing search and rescue, the CCP has militarized coast guard ships…
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Partnerships
Philippines-South Korea partnership seen as model for regional security cooperation
Maria T. Reyes The growing partnership between the Philippines and South Korea, evidenced by the recent upgrading of their decades-long ties, could serve as a benchmark for other nations to emulate amid an increasingly complex geopolitical landscape, analysts say. President Yoon Suk Yeol’s trip to Manila in October 2024 — the first stop on his six-day Southeast Asia tour —…
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Features
Forging Deterrence
Sentry Next-generation defense systems will be faster, more accurate and more powerful to better protect the United States and its Allies and Partners from emerging threats. As the U.S. military and its partners modernize their systems, new technology offers advanced capabilities for detecting and defending against threats to the Indo-Pacific and elsewhere. Russia and the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) increasingly…
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Features
Securing the Digital Future
FORUM Staff Modern warfare won’t be limited by borders or conventional military maneuvers. With computer keystrokes, skilled hackers can bring down telecommunications networks, water and sewage systems, airports, highways, hospitals, and other critical infrastructure in mere minutes, experts warn. In recent years, cyberattacks linked to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), in particular, have increased and Beijing has expanded its…
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