{"id":2198543,"date":"2022-08-25T16:30:37","date_gmt":"2022-08-25T07:30:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nknews.org\/pro\/?p=2198543"},"modified":"2023-04-05T16:11:42","modified_gmt":"2023-04-05T07:11:42","slug":"shared-worldviews-drive-growing-defense-ties-between-south-korea-and-australia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2022\/08\/shared-worldviews-drive-growing-defense-ties-between-south-korea-and-australia\/","title":{"rendered":"Shared worldviews drive growing defense ties between South Korea and Australia"},"content":{"rendered":"
When South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese <\/span>met ahead<\/span><\/a> of the recent NATO summit held in Madrid, they<\/span> shared their commitment<\/span><\/a> to defending democratic values and expanding cooperation on energy, North Korea and other issues.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Since then, the two governments have continued to signal interest in pursuing closer relations, particularly on the defense front.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n With speculation that Australia may not be receiving its highly publicized <\/span>nuclear submarines<\/span><\/a> within the decade,\u00a0 it appears likely that Canberra might have to continue to field its<\/span> rapidly aging Collins-class submarines until 2050<\/span><\/a> \u2014 a capability gap that South Korea has offered to bridge with its Dosan Ahn Changho-class submarines.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In late July, South Korea reportedly offered to build Australia a fleet of the advanced conventional attack submarines in \u201c<\/span>seven years from signature to delivery<\/span><\/a>.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Days later, South Korean and Australian defense ministers Lee Jong-sup and Richard Marles met in Canberra, where they agreed to<\/span> enhance defense cooperation<\/span><\/a> in a wide range of areas, including the arms industry and military exercises.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The blossoming relationship builds on a $730 million defense deal Australia signed in Dec. 2021 to buy 30 South Korean-made K-9howitzers. Seoul is also<\/span> bidding to sell<\/span><\/a> its Redback Infantry Fighting Vehicles to Canberra.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Meanwhile, successful submarine-launched ballistic missile tests in Sept. 2021 and April 2022 solidified South Korea\u2019s position as the world\u2019s<\/span> seventh country<\/span><\/a> to have developed indigenous SLBMs \u2014 further raising its profile as a strong contender in regional arms sales.<\/span><\/p>\n All of this comes against the<\/span> backdrop<\/span><\/a> of the Albanese government launching its strategic review into the Australian Defense Force (ADF), whereby it intends to assess and make recommendations on the ADF\u2019s \u201cstructure, posture and preparedness\u201d over the next ten years, starting from 2023.<\/span><\/p>\n