Kim Myung-soo, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, "North Korea Emerges as a Global Threat... Indo-Pacific Cooperation Must Expand"

by Yoo Jaehoon

Published 05 Feb.2025 14:37(KST)

Updated 06 Feb.2025 06:05(KST)

Participation in the 8th Indo-Pacific Security Forum (Video Conference)

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Kim Myung-soo stated on the 5th, "North Korea's threats, including Russia's troop deployment and the advancement of nuclear and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) technologies, are emerging as global threats beyond the Korean Peninsula," adding, "Security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region must be expanded to maintain a rules-based international order."

Kim Myung-soo, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, "North Korea Emerges as a Global Threat... Indo-Pacific Cooperation Must Expand"

Chairman Kim made these remarks while participating in the 8th Indo-Pacific Security Forum held via video conference in the afternoon, discussing changes in the security environment and key concerns with senior military officials from the region.

The Indo-Pacific Security Forum, first held in 2021 under the auspices of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, has established itself as a high-level military dialogue platform aimed at maintaining peace and stability in the region and enhancing cooperation and communication.

At this security forum, hosted by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command commander, military leaders from 26 countries including the U.S., Japan, and Australia participated. The agenda included ▲ the outcomes and security concerns from last year's Indo-Pacific region senior military (CHOD) meeting ▲ and the agenda items for the Indo-Pacific CHOD meeting scheduled to be held in Thailand in August 2025.

Chairman Kim evaluated the achievements so far, noting that last year's Indo-Pacific CHOD meeting led to substantial progress in bilateral and multilateral military cooperation, such as activating high-level exchanges with allied countries in the region, participating in international security forums, and expanding joint exercises.

Furthermore, Chairman Kim proposed "measures to deter and respond to regional threats" as the agenda for this year's Indo-Pacific CHOD meeting, reiterating the necessity of regional security cooperation to maintain a rules-based international order.