[Yoon Seok-yeol Elected] Next Government Focuses on Strengthening the ROK-US Alliance and Defense Capabilities

Promise of Additional THAAD Deployment... Shift of Focus Toward the U.S.
Joint Exercises Expected to Accelerate with Strengthening of the ROK-U.S. Alliance

President-elect Yoon Suk-yeol is expressing his gratitude to supporters in front of the People Power Party headquarters in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 10th. Photo by Yoon Dong-joo doso7@

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] The election of Yoon Seok-yeol, the presidential candidate of the People Power Party, is widely seen as an event that signals potential changes not only in inter-Korean relations but also in the defense sector.

Amid the intensifying strategic competition between the U.S. and China, both sides are exerting stronger efforts to draw South Korea to their respective camps. While the Moon Jae-in administration’s diplomatic stance was to attempt a ‘balancing act,’ many expect the Yoon Seok-yeol administration to shift the center of gravity toward the U.S.

Yoon’s policies, as revealed through his pledges, list ‘rebuilding the ROK-U.S. alliance and strengthening a comprehensive strategic alliance’ as the top priority in diplomacy and security. In particular, Yoon pledged to deploy additional Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) systems. This is interpreted as a rejection of the Moon administration’s 2017 ‘three no’s’ policy on THAAD (no additional THAAD deployment, no participation in the U.S. missile defense system, and no trilateral military alliance with the U.S. and Japan).

THAAD is a highly sensitive issue that China reacted to strongly when the Park Geun-hye administration decided to introduce it to the U.S. Forces Korea in 2016, including reducing official communication channels with South Korea, imposing the ‘Hanhanryeong’ (restrictions on Korean Wave), and limiting Chinese tourists (Youke).

The pace of acquiring the latest weapons is also expected to accelerate.

On the 5th, Yoon posted on Facebook, "The reason the U.S. enjoys the status of the world’s strongest power is because its people have the belief that their country will protect and remember them until the end. America’s strength comes from the attitude toward the sacrifices of soldiers and patriotism."

At that time, Yoon emphasized, "I will devote all efforts to modernizing defense capabilities, including replacing aging fighter jets, to prevent repeated accidents. I will ensure that the military and soldiers are respected and honored in society."

Joint exercises to strengthen the ROK-U.S. alliance are also expected to be expedited. On the 25th of last month, regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Yoon criticized social groups opposing the ROK-U.S. alliance, saying, "Who are the strong labor unions and some women’s groups in our country, who oppose the ROK-U.S. joint exercises and call for the withdrawal of U.S. Forces Korea, really serving?"

The first half of this year’s ROK-U.S. joint military exercises (Combined Command Post Training, CCPT) is expected to be postponed until after April.

Typically held every March, the first half CCPT this year is likely to be delayed due to the ongoing COVID-19 outbreaks in both countries caused by the Omicron variant, compounded by the presidential election schedule, making the postponement of the exercises inevitable.

The ROK and U.S. conduct CCPT twice a year, in the first and second halves, simulating responses to North Korean attacks. Although CCPT is a command post exercise (CPX) using computer simulations without large-scale field training exercises (FTX), the U.S. side dispatches not only U.S. Forces Korea personnel but also staff officers from the mainland to evaluate the exercises.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.