13-12-2023 (SEOUL) In a rare collective move underscoring the alliance’s deepening interest in the Indo-Pacific amidst the ongoing Ukraine conflict, a delegation from eight NATO member countries is poised to visit Seoul later this week.
The three-day visit, spanning from Wednesday to Friday, aims to foster discussions on the security situation in the Indo-Pacific region and other pertinent global issues, as announced by South Korea’s Foreign Ministry on Monday.
The participating countries, comprising the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Denmark, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Romania, and Poland, are slated to meet with South Korea’s Vice Foreign Minister Chang Ho-jin on Wednesday. Alongside this, the NATO ambassadors will engage with Defense Minister Shin Won-sik and participate in various events orchestrated by the US Embassy in Seoul.
Jeon Ha-kyu, the spokesperson for South Korea’s Defense Ministry, highlighted that the meetings between Shin and the NATO ambassadors will assess the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and surrounding areas, centering on defence cooperation between NATO and South Korea.
NATO, originally formed during the Cold War in response to threats posed by the then-Soviet Union, currently boasts 31 member countries.
Surprisingly, the upcoming visit was not officially organized by NATO but is being coordinated by the US Embassy in Seoul, according to information obtained by The Korea Herald.
This collective visit is unprecedented and is viewed in line with NATO’s increased collaboration with its four Asia-Pacific partners, known as AP4. A government source, preferring to remain anonymous, stated that NATO member countries are keenly interested in the stances of South Korea and Japan regarding North Korean nuclear and missile threats, along with the broader security landscape in Northeast Asia.
The AP4 coalition comprises South Korea, Australia, Japan, and New Zealand. The source emphasized that the visit aims to deepen NATO’s understanding of the situation on the Korean Peninsula, in Northeast Asia, and the broader Indo-Pacific region.
The heightened focus on the Indo-Pacific aligns with NATO’s acknowledgment of challenges posed by China, as highlighted in a joint statement during the 2022 summit. NATO’s new “Strategic Concept” emphasizes the significance of the Indo-Pacific region and reiterates its commitment to addressing the “systemic challenges” posed by China to Euro-Atlantic security.
Additionally, NATO’s heightened interest in South Korea’s strategy to counter cyber threats from North Korea was noted. Cybersecurity collaboration has emerged as a pivotal aspect of cooperation between South Korea and NATO, evidenced by the South Korean military’s participation in NATO’s cyber exercise, the Cyber Coalition.
The upcoming visit gains further significance against the backdrop of the increased coordination between South Korea and NATO. This was underscored with the adoption of the Individually Tailored Partnership Programme during South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s attendance at the NATO summit in Vilnius in July.
The ITPP outlines 11 sectors of collaboration, covering areas such as dialogue and consultation, cooperation in anti-terrorism efforts, disarmament and nonproliferation, emerging technologies, cybersecurity, and public diplomacy. This initiative represents a notable advancement from the Individual Partnership and Cooperation Programme signed by South Korea in 2012.
In Vilnius, South Korea and NATO also reached an agreement to enhance cooperation in military intelligence sharing, further solidifying diplomatic ties. To strengthen political dialogue, South Korea established a Diplomatic Mission to NATO in Brussels in November 2022.
Simultaneously, in a parallel development, US Congressman Mike Lawler introduced the Indo-Pacific Treaty Organization Act on December 5. This legislation aims to assess the need for establishing a NATO-like coalition between the US and like-minded partners in the Indo-Pacific region.
Lawler emphasized the necessity of such a coalition in light of closer alignment among the US’ adversaries, namely China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. According to Lawler, a collective security agreement has the potential to deter aggression and protect the forces of democracy in the Indo-Pacific region.
