South Korean Defence Strategy - Mass, Firepower, Industry & Existential Threats

Across other videos I've often hinted at the Republic of Korea as something of a military outlier. A major power that, at a time that other forces are battling a shortage of artillery, manpower or heavy equipment - still had all of the above at its disposal in serious quantities.

Because whereas many other nations in places like Europe embraced the peace dividend of the 1990s, the ROK's strategic context remained complex and threatening - with North Korea's massive conventional (and now nuclear) arsenal constantly ready to resume a war that never officially ended.

The ROK's defence strategy is a story of a nation having to make sacrifices and prioritise in order to contain and deter serious threats within the limits of the nation's limited resources. It's an interesting study in a major military for whom mass and artillery firepower remain key tools of deterrence and security - and it is likewise a story of a nation that has gone from a minor actor in the international arms market, to an increasingly major player.

And so today, I want to talk about the Republic of Korea, its unique strategic environment, and the strategy it's embraced to survive and thrive in it.

Patreon:
  / perunau  

Caveats/Corrections:
All normal caveats and limitations from other episodes apply as normal

At one point I misspeak and refer to the most recent ROK NSS as a 2022 document - the slide is correct and it's a 2023 document

I also refer to Daewoo as a shipbuilder ( because I was working from a 2022 dataset). I later correctly refer to "Hanwha Ocean" which is the correct term after the acquisition of Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering

I likewise say there is no chapter on Japan in the NSS - that is correct, but there is a few paragraphs on the relationship (similarly there is a bilateral paragraph in the Indo Pacific Strategy) - the focus however remains on trilateral or multilateral versions of the relationship

Sources/Reading:

ROK National Security Strategy
https://www.mofa.go.kr/eng/brd/m_2577...

ROK DWP 2020
https://www.mnd.go.kr/cop/pblictn/sel...

ROK DWP 2022
https://www.korea.kr/archive/expDocVi...

ROK Indo Pacific Strategy
https://www.mofa.go.kr/eng/brd/m_5676...

US soldier literally fleeting to North Korea (1,000IQ move)
https://www.reuters.com/world/us-nati...

Korean Ministry of Foreign Affairs Figures on Energy imports
https://www.mofa.go.kr/eng/wpge/m_565....

Washington Declaration
https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-r...

Reporting on ROK Hypersonics
https://www.janes.com/defence-news/ne...

https://missilethreat.csis.org/south-...

https://aviationweek.com/defense-spac...

Reporting on US-Japan-ROK BMD drills
https://news.usni.org/2023/02/22/u-s-...

Reporting on Joint Strike Ship Concept
https://www.navalnews.com/event-news/...

Reporting on ROK F-15 Upgrades
https://www.thedrive.com/the-war-zone...

Japan ROK resume security dialogue
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/202...

Reporting on NSS and DWP
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pa...

https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/seo...

Timestamps:
00:00:00 — Republic Of Korea
00:01:30 — What Am I Talking About?
00:02:21 — History
00:06:54 — Korea's Strategic Position
00:14:00 — The ROK Armed Forces
00:25:37 — Industry And Systems
00:38:38 — Korean Strategic Thinking
00:51:12 — Diplomatic Strategic Responses
00:58:45 — Hard Power
01:09:12 — Conclusions
01:10:40 — Channel Update