According to Shin Won-sik, the Defense Minister of South Korea, discussions have been held on the possibility of sharing advanced military technology with the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia through the AUKUS partnership. These talks took place during meetings between South Korea and Australia’s defense and foreign ministers in Melbourne. The AUKUS agreement was formed in 2021 and involves the US and UK providing Australia with nuclear-powered submarines to counter China’s increasing military presence.
The partnership could potentially expand to include cooperation on various security technologies like artificial intelligence, electronic warfare, and hypersonic systems under the AUKUS Pillar 2. Shin expressed welcoming of South Korea’s invitation from the AUKUS partners and mentioned that South Korea’s defense science and technology capabilities could contribute to regional peace and stability through AUKUS Pillar 2 development.
In addition to South Korea, Japan is also in the process of formal talks to join AUKUS Pillar 2 for technology development and sharing. Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles commended South Korea’s efforts to strengthen ties with Japan, highlighting the strategic significance of such collaboration in the region. Marles emphasized that cooperation between Korea and Australia aims to uphold the rules-based order in the region and globally.
