Dr Chung Min Lee
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, South Korea has emerged as one of the key sources of military equipment for NATO’s European members. South Korea deserves credit for building up its defence industries for the past half-century, and especially since the 2010s, but it faces an expanded threat envelope. How South Korea is going to meet an ever-growing menu of defence threats, and growing pressure from the US to assume a greater role in co-defending the First Island Chains, remains to be seen, but partnering with NATO will offer key dividends.
Direct European military assistance to South Korea in the event of a major conflict or even war is not impossible, but it is less likely given South Korea’s alliance with the US and its own increasingly sophisticated military arsenal. Nor is South Korea going to play a central role in helping to revitalise European defence modernisation. But at the margins, South Korean firms can play a key role in boosting European defence capabilities through joint R&D, European-based manufacturing of mid- to high-level weapons systems, and strengthening military supply chains.
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