S. Korea hints at stepping up military ties with Japan

SEOUL • South Korea's Defence Minister signalled the country may strengthen its military cooperation with rival Japan as the two US allies work to boost regional security against threats like the ones posed by North Korea.

Mr Suh Wook, who held talks last week with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin on their debut trip abroad since taking office, said Seoul considers Japan one of its crucial security partners and wants to continue its cooperation with the neighbour in partnership with the United States.

"What is protecting the Korean peninsula is centred around the Korea-US alliance, but we believe that the Korea-Japan security cooperation is also a valuable asset, which is why we need to maintain this," Mr Suh said in a Bloomberg Television interview, a day after finishing talks with the US envoys.

The visits to Tokyo and Seoul by Mr Blinken and Mr Austin appeared to have helped defrost chilly relations between the neighbours, who host the bulk of American troops in the region.

Ties plunged during former US president Donald Trump's tenure as tensions arising from historical differences touched off a trade dispute that at one point threatened global supply lines for semiconductors and nearly led South Korea to abandon a joint intelligence-sharing agreement.

The Defence Minister also said that Seoul would continue to develop its alliance with the new Biden administration, allowing it to play a bigger security role on the international stage.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in's government has embarked on one of the country's biggest military build-ups in years, seeking to add an aircraft carrier and a nuclear-powered submarine.

The moves would allow it to project more power abroad and come after the Trump administration pushed Seoul to increase its presence in international security arrangements, such as guarding waterways in the Middle East, from which South Korea receives the bulk of its oil.

The Biden administration has also been seeking help from allies to form policy against what Mr Blinken called Chinese "aggression and coercion", which puts South Korea in a difficult position.

Beijing is its biggest trading partner and a key player in persuading North Korea to wind down its nuclear arsenal.

Mr Suh said there had been advancements in the long-delayed transfer of wartime troop management - known as wartime operational control (Opcon) - from the US to South Korea, and highlighted the South's New Southern Policy, which is aimed at elevating ties with South-east Asia and India.

Here are some highlights from the minister's interview:

"There is indeed the matter of history-related issues, but we feel that Korea-Japan relations are needed in terms of defence cooperation.

"We will continue to hold military talks and continue (cooperating) in the future."

"It's for preparing against potential threats in the future - a matter of range for the Korean peninsula - and to secure flexibility for matters such as humanitarian assistance, which is why we believe it's necessary."

Actually, there's not much difference in terms of bringing the current combined forces command to a future version of the combined forces command, besides the switching of the positions of the commander-in-chief and the deputy commander-in-chief.

"In that sense, our stance in readiness will not change much, besides the citizenship of the commander-in-chief - so we believe there's no need to be worried about the issue of our readiness posture."

"We have a principle that our New Southern Policy can be similar to regional cooperation in terms of addressing different issues.

"We believe we can work with other countries that are also pursuing the New Southern Policy... through cooperation."

BLOOMBERG