[Editor's Note] This article is authorized by the founder of the Great Diplomacy Think Tank. The "Qin'an Strategy" is exclusively original published on the Toutiao platform , reprinted from the official account "Kuzhijie Foreign Affairs University", author Li Jiaxing, intern commentator .
On April 21, 2022, the Korean Maritime Strategy Institute (KIMS) held a forum. Lieutenant General Zheng Cheng-jun, the South Korean Naval Education and Training Command, summarized the three major risks of South Korea's maritime security in the Indo-Pacific region. First, COVID-19, natural disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis; second, transnational and conventional threats such as piracy and terrorism; third, the challenges to maritime security are expanded. Zheng Chengjun also mentioned that South Korea needs to establish a free, open, rules-based order in the region through cooperation. This shows that South Korea expects to carry out further cooperation with other countries in the field of maritime security cooperation, and the United States, the main builder of " Indo-Pacific Strategy ", has become its primary choice. So can South Korea and the United States further deepen maritime security cooperation under the new "Indo-Pacific situation"? This article will analyze it from the following perspectives.
1. South Korea and the United States’ maritime security strategy appeal
The purpose of the United States’ maritime strategy can be summarized into the following four points. First, ensure freedom of maritime trade. Second, by continuously deploying military forces in the region, deter the outbreak of war. Third, prevent the expansion of regional crises by quickly intervening in the early stages of a crisis. Fourth, win the Great Power War. As the United States implements the Indo-Pacific Strategy and points its national strategic purpose to strengthen competition with China, the United States' maritime strategy has also begun to target China, defining the strategic goal of ensuring regional ocean dominance and winning competition against China.
South Korea's marine strategy purpose mainly includes the following three points. First, resist the maritime attack of opponent (North Korea) . One of South Korea's main defense goals is to deal with the threat from North Korea. South Korea, surrounded by sea on three sides, needs to prevent its opponent from launching an attack from the sea in addition to land defense. Second, strengthen actual control over the islands and ensure the maritime jurisdiction claimed by South Korea. South Korea has disputes over island sovereignty and maritime exclusive economic demarcation issues with its neighboring countries. The "Five-Year Plan for National Affairs Operation" released by the Moon Jae-in government pointed out that it is necessary for the South Korean government to "protect the marine territory and strengthen the management of Dokdo and Yuling Island ." Third, protect maritime transportation lines and ensure the security of maritime trade. The "Prosperity and Peace Initiative Based on Marine Force" jointly issued by the South Korean Navy, the Marine Police Agency and the Navy clearly states that 63.5% of South Korea's GDP depends on imports and exports, while 99.7% of import and export trade depends on ocean transportation. Therefore, South Korea is a maritime country that relies on maritime trade.
Based on the respective maritime strategic demands of South Korea and the United States, the two sides have sufficient possibilities for cooperation in the field of maritime security.
2. Analysis of the situation of maritime security cooperation between South Korea and the United States
(I) The bilateral maritime security cooperation mechanism between South Korea and the United States
South Korea Navy strengthens the joint working mechanism. Since South Korea's Navy Command is located in Busan , in order to strengthen cooperation between the two countries' naval forces, the US Navy Command in South Korea moved from Seoul to Busan in 2016. In order to strengthen intelligence sharing between the two armies and strengthen the joint combat capabilities of the two armies, in 2017, the navies of the two countries established the "Joint Marine Operations Headquarters", which is responsible for mobilizing strategic equipment such as aircraft carrier , submarine and other strategic equipment in the event of a crisis. In 2017, the navies of the two countries also established a "joint working system". This means that the work of the two naval generals in various fields such as military needs, combat, and intelligence has carried out a "spatial combination", thereby strengthening the cooperation and exchanges between the two militaries.
At the same time, the South Korean and US navies have also strengthened tactical dialogue and exchanges. As the US Navy headquarters in South Korea moved to Busan, the two units held frequent daily joint meetings.This includes the "Joint Marine Operations Status Report Meeting" held every Friday, with the participation of naval commanders and staff of the two countries, and the "Joint Staff Meeting" held every Monday, Monday, and the "Joint Staff Meeting" held every week.
0 US military command in South Korea moved to Pyeongze base (Photo source @CCTV website)
(II) South Korea and the United States maritime joint military exercises
South Korea and the United States have expanded the scale of joint military exercises, especially emphasizing the training of joint operation capabilities. In the "Joint Fleet Attack Training" conducted on October 11, 2016, South Korea and the United States applied the concept of "massive retaliation and punishment" to maritime operations, that is, it is no longer limited to the original ship-to-ship and ship-to-air strikes, but instead uses the fleet's long-range precision induction weapons to carry out ship-to-ground precision strikes. During the joint maritime military exercises conducted on November 12, 2017, three US aircraft carriers entered the waters of the Korean Peninsula at the same time. In April 2018, South Korea and the United States conducted a large-scale landing operation called "Shuanglong Training", and for the first time they invested in the F-35B fighter . On September 23, 2022, five years later, the United States once again sent the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier and its accompanying ship to conduct joint naval military exercises with South Korea.
As the United States emphasizes the construction of regional multilateral alliance networks, South Korea has expanded multilateral maritime security cooperation with its regional allies. In recent years, the frequency of Korean Navy multilateral joint training has shown an increasing trend. Specifically, South Korea actively cooperates with the United States to enhance regional multilateral joint operations by joining the intelligence cooperation agreement and participating in the multilateral joint exercise. In May 2022, the South Korean Navy participated in the 2022 Pacific Rim Military Exercise (RIMPAC) (RIMPAC) , and the scale of participating troops reached a record high. 38 ships, 4 submarines, 170 aircraft and 25,000 troops from 26 countries including the United States, South Korea, and Japan participated in the exercise. All parties will jointly conduct various exercises such as anti-submarine , anti-ship, and air combat, aiming to improve the joint combat capabilities of multinationals, protect the safety of navigation along the Pacific coast, and jointly respond to maritime threats.
On September 23, 2022, American soldiers inspected a fighter plane on the deck of the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier (Photo source @ Google)
(III) Marine security cooperation between South Korea and US allies
As the United States expands the geopolitical scope of its regional strategy, South Korea has also begun to focus on cooperation with US extraterritorial allies, including India, EU countries. South Korea and India held the first "Korea-India Naval Conference" on September 13, 2018. The two sides discussed plans to expand military exchanges and increase joint training, and decided to hold a naval conference every two years in the future. South Korea and India's maritime security cooperation is concentrated in the field of ship construction. The two countries signed a memorandum of understanding on shipbuilding cooperation on April 22, 2017, committed to cooperation on naval military platforms and weapons upgrades. South Korean companies are also keen on building minesweeper for India and providing self-propelled air defense systems for the Indian Navy; from August 30 to September 1, 2021, South Korea and the UK's latest aircraft carrier and 65,000 tons of " Queen Elizabeth " conducted joint training in the East China Sea, and the United States and Dutch also participated in the training. In 2015, the EU and South Korea launched the "Key Channel of the Indian Ocean" (CRIMARIO) project in the field of maritime security, and the second phase is currently underway. CRIMARIO II aims to strengthen the EU's information sharing and analysis and crisis management for maritime regions in South and Southeast Asia, with the aim of improving compliance with international law of the sea and regional arrangements and coordinating maritime surveillance, policing, investigation and justice.
In August 2021, the South Korean Navy will conduct rescue training with the British "Queen Elizabeth" aircraft carrier in the East China Sea (Photo source @ NetEase)
3. Analysis of differences in maritime security cooperation between South Korea and the United States
Although South Korea and the United States have made some progress in maritime security cooperation, the differences between the two sides are also realistic. So far, South Korea has remained hesitant to accept the term "Indo-Pacific", because Seoul generally believes that the concept is essentially anti-China.South Korea is engaging in a delicate balance between the United States and China and does not want to be involved in the quagmire of China-US competition in the region. Therefore, in November 2017, the Moon Jae-in government formulated its own "New Southern Policy" (NSP) , and took its own approach to the region. The main purpose of this policy is to enhance South Korea's relations with South and Southeast Asia, thereby achieving diversification in South Korea. South Korea's diplomacy cannot pay too much attention to Northeast Asia and the United States. More specifically, the "New Southern Policy" is based on the three pillars of "people", "prosperity" and "peace", and pays more attention to South Korea's relationship with ASEAN and India. In November 2020, the Moon Jae-in government announced a more advanced version of the strategy, "NSP (Plus)" strategy - identifying seven priority areas of cooperation in South Korea: public health, education and human capital development, cultural exchanges, economy, infrastructure development, future industries and non-traditional security . Therefore, South Korea's future maritime security cooperation is also based on the basic purpose of the "New Southern Policy" and continues to shift from the non-traditional security field to the Southeast Asia and South Asia region.
On June 19, 2017, the US and South Korean Navy conducted exercises in the waters near Jeju, sending a total of 8 ships (Photo source @ China News Network)
On the other hand, there are also obvious differences in the maritime strategic purposes of the two countries. South Korea's maritime strategy is mainly aimed at the waters around the Korean Peninsula, and South Korea believes that there is no need to interfere in regional affairs, especially in competition with major powers. However, it should be noted that there are still island disputes and maritime exclusive economic boundaries between South Korea and China. South Korea is worried that the expansion of China's influence will lead to the unfavorable solution of these problems.
4. Conclusion
Marine security is not only an important aspect of cooperation between South Korea and the United States, but also a core area of the "Indo-Pacific Strategy", affecting the implementation prospects of the US regional strategy. With the change of power between China and the United States and the United States and the United States strengthening strategic competition against China, on the one hand, South Korea and the United States have deepened bilateral maritime security cooperation. At the same time, South Korea has strengthened regional multilateral maritime security cooperation and actively cooperated with the United States to enhance its joint action capabilities. But on the other hand, the two countries also have differences. South Korea is unwilling to participate in the US power competition in the Asia-Pacific region. In addition, South Korea's "New Southern Policy" has shifted its strategic layout to South Asia and Southeast Asia, which also makes it difficult for South Korea-US maritime security cooperation to a higher level.
