Up next our senior correspondent Oh Soo-young takes a closer look at the significance of the president’s upcoming trip to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, as we just heard.
President Yoon Suk Yeol will signal South Korea’s commitment to enhancing regional and global security, as North Korea and Russia’s military collaboration threatens peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and beyond.
As President Yoon travels to Washington D.C., for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s annual summit, he’s stopping by Honolulu, Hawaii.
The island state is home to the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command which covers about half of the Earth’s surface, including the Korean Peninsula where some 28-thousand-500 U.S. troops are stationed.
According to Yu Ji-hoon, Research Fellow at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, the President’s visit to the Command Headquarters on Tuesday will not only prove the strength of the 70-year South Korea-U.S. alliance,.. but Seoul’s growing role as a contributor to global security.
“It underscores South Korea’s dedication to countering threats from North Korea and China while aligning with broader international defense strategies. By engaging with both Indo-Pacific Command and NATO, President Yoon highlights the interconnected nature of Indo-Pacific and transatlantic security, promoting a comprehensive defense strategy. This conveys a message of solidarity and cooperation with key military alliances, reinforcing South Korea’s position as a pivotal security partner committed to maintaining stability and peace on a global scale.”
Controlling the U.S.’ key strategic assets such as aircraft carriers, nuclear submarines, and bombers, INDOPACOM plays a crucial role in enabling military cooperation between Seoul, Washington, and Tokyo, to deter North Korea’s nuclear and missile threat to regional security.
Three-way activities have increased since plans to institutionalize trilateral security cooperation, were agreed at Camp David last year.
“Three countries have conducted more frequent and complex military drills, demonstrating a unified stance against regional threats like North Korea’s missile tests. There has been a notable increase in real-time intelligence sharing, bolstering their collective situational awareness and response capabilities. Additionally, collaborative efforts in missile defense have intensified, focusing on interoperability and combined defense strategies.”
Given the mounting threat posed by North Korea and its recent treaty with Russia on military cooperation, as well as suspected weapons delivery, Yu says the three Indo-Pacific partners have space to collaborate further on the maritime front.
“The navies of South Korea, the U.S., and Japan could enhance joint maritime patrols and surveillance to monitor and deter illicit activities. Strengthening interoperability through regular, advanced naval exercises would improve coordinated responses to any threats. Establishing a shared intelligence network would ensure real-time information exchange, crucial for tracking adversarial movements.”
President Yoon’s office says the leader’s visit to Honolulu and Washington D.C. is aimed at strengthening South Korea’s security through global cooperation.
Based on this solidarity, Seoul will expand the scope of security cooperation to economic and technological partnerships with like-minded countries.
Oh Soo-young, Arirang News, Honolulu.
Source : Arirang TV, https://www.arirang.com/news/view?id=273059
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