During a meeting between South Korea and Australia’s defense and foreign ministers in Melbourne, South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik discussed the potential for sharing advanced military technology with the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia through the AUKUS partnership. The AUKUS agreement involves providing Australia with submarines powered by U.S. nuclear technology to counter China’s military presence.
Under the AUKUS Pillar 2 framework, the partnership could expand to include cooperation on security technologies such as artificial intelligence, electronic warfare, and hypersonic systems. Shin expressed South Korea’s willingness to participate as an AUKUS Pillar 2 partner, stating that their defense capabilities would contribute to regional peace and stability.
The Quad, a security dialogue involving Australia, the United States, Japan, and India, aims to uphold the rules-based order within the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. Japanese Defense Minister Hiroshi Yamamoto has also expressed interest in joining AUKUS Pillar 2 for technology development and sharing. Australian Defense Minister Richard Marles applauded South Korea’s efforts to enhance its relationship with Japan, highlighting the opportunity for greater cooperation in the region.
During his visit to Tokyo earlier this year, Marles emphasized the importance of strengthening ties between Australia and Japan in light of increasing tensions with China. He also reiterated his support for Japan’s bid to join the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP), which would strengthen economic ties between Australia and Japan.
Marles stated that he believes that AUKUS has significant potential to provide new opportunities for security cooperation in Asia Pacific region. He added that it is important for all countries in the region to work together towards common goals of maintaining peace and stability.
In conclusion, The AUKUS partnership provides a platform for shared military technology among allies like US , UK , Australia , South Korea , Japan
