The Ministry of National Defense engaged in a series of bilateral meetings with defense leaders from ten countries during the 15th Seoul Security Dialogue, emphasizing the importance of defense diplomacy. Minister Ahn Gyu-baek highlighted the need for strong deterrence, military communication, and strategic restraint to prevent crises from escalating into war, underscoring the significance of multilateral cooperation.
Following a meeting with the Philippine defense minister the previous day, Ahn held bilateral talks with defense ministers from Uganda, Papua New Guinea, and the Czech Republic. The Deputy Minister of Defense also met with counterparts from Kenya and Mongolia the day before, continuing discussions with officials from Japan, Malaysia, Finland, and Singapore on the same day. This defense diplomacy encompasses four ministerial-level countries and six deputy ministerial-level countries across Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Pacific.
In his opening remarks at the Seoul Security Dialogue, Ahn identified the weakening of rules and trust that have historically managed power conflicts as a root cause of the crises facing the international community. He noted that the prolonged wars in Europe and the Middle East, along with the competition among major powers in economic, technological, energy, and supply chain domains, have made the stability of the international order a matter of national interest directly linked to the safety and prosperity of the South Korean people.
Ahn stated, "Stability is not the absence of conflict," emphasizing the need for a collective ability to manage competition and prevent conflicts from escalating into war, even when interests differ. He proposed that the first task is to balance strong deterrence with strategic restraint, making it clear that benefits cannot be gained through invasion and coercion while also ensuring channels for military communication and exit strategies in crises.
Ahn warned, "If military communication channels are closed and there are no exits from crises, even strong military power can increase the risk of miscalculation and escalation," adding that strategic restraint is not a sign of weakness but rather the highest level of confidence and responsibility that a powerful nation can demonstrate.
He also outlined a vision for connecting bilateral, trilateral, and multilateral cooperation into a single international safety net. He explained that bilateral cooperation provides trust and execution capability, trilateral cooperation offers speed and flexibility, and multilateral frameworks support legitimacy, norms, and sustainability, thus necessitating their organic linkage.
Ahn emphasized that alliances should not be walls that block each other but rather strong supports that lean on one another. He called for international organizations and regional security systems to be interconnected to respond collectively to security, economic, technological, and humanitarian crises. He proposed that rules, responsibilities, restraint, and practicality should form the foundation of a new order, advocating for building possible cooperation rather than waiting for complete agreements.
This vision continued in the first session of the main conference themed 'Joint Design for a Stable International Order.' Ahn participated in a panel discussion with Czech Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Jaromir Juna and Philippine Defense Minister Gilberto Teodoro, discussing cooperation directions to address the instability of the international order and complex crises.
Ahn noted, "Europe and the Indo-Pacific region are already a single strategic space," citing military cooperation between North Korea and Russia as a prime example. He pointed out that North Korea's accumulated military experience and know-how in Europe also impact security in the Korean Peninsula and the Indo-Pacific, with energy supply chains, advanced technologies, and nuclear threats closely linking the two regions.
He affirmed South Korea's commitment to actively connecting different cooperation frameworks based on the South Korea-U.S. alliance and trilateral cooperation with the U.S. and Japan, as well as partnerships with NATO, the Indo-Pacific, and ASEAN.
Ahn also emphasized the need for practical contributions to support international roles. He stated that South Korea would utilize its defense capabilities, advanced technologies, and experiences gained from peacekeeping operations, mine response, and recovery and reconstruction processes to enhance collective safety and resilience in the international community.
On the Korean Peninsula, Ahn pledged to maintain strong deterrence while managing military tensions and restoring dialogue and trust. He stated, "We will establish multiple safety devices to prevent crises and escalation, moving toward a stable peace that does not require fighting," aiming to develop peace on the Korean Peninsula into a contribution to stability in Northeast Asia and global peace.
He concluded, "The strength of defense is not limited to the ability to win wars; it is only complete when it sustains order to prevent wars from occurring."
The 15th Seoul Security Dialogue commenced on September 7 at The Grand Lotte Seoul, starting with a working group meeting on cyber and space security. The main theme, 'In an Era of Chaos, for New Coexistence,' will guide discussions on international security crisis responses and cooperation strategies through the main conference and special sessions until September 9.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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