{"id":2204709,"date":"2024-04-16T13:41:41","date_gmt":"2024-04-16T04:41:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/?p=2204709"},"modified":"2024-04-17T16:41:29","modified_gmt":"2024-04-17T07:41:29","slug":"seouls-k-defense-push-in-the-philippines-faces-political-strategic-hurdles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2024\/04\/seouls-k-defense-push-in-the-philippines-faces-political-strategic-hurdles\/","title":{"rendered":"Seoul\u2019s \u2018K-Defense\u2019 push in the Philippines faces political, strategic hurdles"},"content":{"rendered":"
South Korea and the Philippines have strengthened their military ties in recent months, with ROK defense contractors poised to benefit from the Philippines\u2019 military modernization plans. However, this deepening cooperation faces potential risks, including the possibility of increased Chinese aggression in the South China Sea and the impact of South Korea\u2019s parliamentary elections on President Yoon Suk-yeol\u2019s foreign policy agenda.<\/span><\/p>\n In March, the ROK Air Force\u2019s Black Eagles aerobatics display team <\/span>performed<\/span><\/a> at Clark Air Base in Luzon to mark the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two nations.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Additionally, Philippine Navy spokesperson Commander John Percie Alco announced that the service had begun training the future crews of two corvettes being built by Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) at its Ulsan shipyard.<\/span><\/p>\n The Philippine crewmembers will deploy to South Korea next year to train with the \u201c<\/span>original equipment manufacturers<\/span><\/a>\u201d before HHI delivers the first corvette in the second half of 2025.<\/span><\/p>\n DEEPENING TIES<\/b><\/p>\n These events underscore South Korea\u2019s significant role as an equipment supplier for the Philippines\u2019 ongoing military modernization plans. HHI built two Jose-Rizal class frigates, the Philippine Navy\u2019s most modern warships, with their design serving as the basis for the corvettes under construction.<\/span><\/p>\n The Philippine Air Force also operates the FA-50PH, an armed version of the T-50B trainer jets used by the Black Eagles, as its most advanced aircraft.<\/span><\/p>\n Additionally, South Korean defense contractors stand to gain from Manila\u2019s other modernization plans. For instance, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. <\/span>approved<\/span><\/a> revisions to the Philippine military\u2019s modernization plan in January, estimated to cost more than $35 billion over the next decade.<\/span><\/p>\n The Marcos administration also adopted the <\/span>Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept<\/span><\/a> to counter China\u2019s escalating aggression in the South China Sea. The strategy is to develop Manila\u2019s ability to project comprehensive power in its exclusive economic zone \u2014 \u201cnot only in the West Philippine Sea and South China Sea but also in the entirety of its territorial jurisdiction.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Joshua Kurlantzick, a senior fellow for Southeast Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR), told <\/span>Korea Pro<\/span><\/i> that the Philippines\u2019 purchases of Korean military hardware will \u201chighly likely\u201d continue.<\/span><\/p>\n Hanwha Ocean, a Korean defense firm, is <\/span>pitching<\/span><\/a> its Jangbogo-III PN attack submarine design for the Philippine Navy\u2019s nascent submarine program. The Philippine Air Force has also <\/span>expressed interest<\/span><\/a> in evaluating the KF-21 Boramae for its Multi-Role Fighter program alongside American Lockheed Martin F-16s and Swedish Saab Gripen fighters, pending the KF-21\u2019s development progress.<\/span><\/p>\n The KF-21\u2019s progress has been troubled. In addition to an Indonesian engineer\u2019s alleged <\/span>attempt to steal<\/span><\/a> classified information related to the jet, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration \u2014 South Korea\u2019s state arms procurement agency \u2014 signed a contract in March to begin the production of <\/span>20 KF-21 fighter jets<\/span><\/a> this year, half of what was initially planned.<\/span><\/p>\n If the Philippine Air Force seriously considers the KF-21 fighter jet for its Multi-Role Fighter program, it would significantly boost Korea Aerospace Industries, the fighter jet\u2019s manufacturer.<\/span><\/p>\n