Defense Ministers' Meeting between Korea and China Held in Shangri-La... Discussion Expected on North Korea's Nuclear Issue and THAAD

Signs of North Korean Nuclear Tests and THAAD Normalization Efforts
Outlook for Korea-Japan Talks Remains Gloomy

Defense Minister Lee Jong-seop saluting at the Navy Chief of Staff Change of Command Ceremony held at Gyeryongdae, Chungnam, on the afternoon of the 27th of last month. (Photo by Yonhap News)

[Asia Economy Reporter Moon Chae-seok] The defense chiefs of South Korea and China will hold talks next week for the first time in 2 years and 7 months. The meeting is drawing attention as it comes at a time when the normalization of the US Forces Korea's Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) base, which China disapproves of, is being pursued, and tensions on the Korean Peninsula are escalating with signs of North Korea's seventh nuclear test.

According to the Ministry of National Defense on the 2nd, South Korea and China have agreed to hold a bilateral meeting between Defense Minister Lee Jong-seop and Defense Minister Wei Fenghe on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue, the Asia Security Conference, scheduled to take place in Singapore from the 10th to the 12th. While the specific agenda and schedule are still being coordinated, this will be the first meeting since November 2019 at the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Bangkok, Thailand, making the outcome highly anticipated.

Both sides are expected to first share assessments of the tense situation on the Korean Peninsula, heightened by North Korea's seventh nuclear test developments, and discuss cooperation measures to ease tensions. China may also express its position on the normalization of the US Forces Korea THAAD base in Seongju, Gyeongbuk Province, which has gained momentum under the Yoon Suk-yeol administration. Minister Lee recently stated, "The normalization of the THAAD base was something that should have been done naturally, and we will proceed with it as soon as possible."

China previously imposed economic retaliation after South Korea deployed THAAD, but since this concerns the normalization of an already deployed base rather than additional deployment, it is unlikely to raise significant issues. South Korea is expected to repeatedly explain that the deployment is "not aimed at China."

In addition, both sides are expected to discuss enhancing defense exchange cooperation, including measures to prevent accidental collisions in the Korea Air Defense Identification Zone (KADIZ). Accordingly, during the Defense Policy Working-Level Meeting held via video conference on the same day, South Korea and China agreed to establish additional direct communication lines (hotlines) between their naval and air forces and to activate them as soon as possible.

Last March, the two countries agreed to add one direct communication line each between the South Korean Navy and the Chinese Eastern Theater Command Navy, and between the South Korean Air Force and the Chinese Eastern Theater Command Air Force. Currently, there are three hotlines between the military authorities of South Korea and China: one between the two defense ministries, and one each between the South Korean naval and air forces and the Chinese Northern Theater Command naval and air forces.

With the additional direct communication lines with the Chinese Eastern Theater Command naval and air forces, the number of hotlines between the two countries' military authorities will increase to five. The expansion and activation of emergency communication channels between South Korea and China are expected to help prevent accidental collisions in areas such as the KADIZ.

Unlike the agreed South Korea-China talks, the outlook for the South Korea-Japan defense minister meeting is bleak.

Due to unresolved issues in South Korea-Japan relations, including the controversy over South Korean warships' radar illumination of Japanese patrol aircraft and historical disputes such as comfort women and forced labor, South Korean authorities reportedly consider it premature to discuss military cooperation at this time.

However, Japanese media have reported that coordination is underway for a trilateral defense minister meeting among South Korea, the United States, and Japan.

The Asia Security Conference, known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, is an event where top security leaders from major Asia-Pacific countries gather. It has been held at the Shangri-La Hotel in Singapore since 2002 but was not held in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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