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South Koreans are opposed to enhanced NATO cooperation

Saturday, 13 July 2024 11:11 AM [ Last Update: Saturday, 13 July 2024 11:11 AM ]

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg shakes hands with South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol on the day of a NATO leaders summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, July 11, 2023. (File photo by Reuters)

South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol attended the NATO Summit for the third consecutive year, this time, held in Washington DC.

President Yoon has sought to deepen South Korea's ties with NATO as a bulwark against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, as well as expanding its weapons sales, including its new fighter jets.

South Koreans oppose push for stronger NATO cooperation

South Koreans oppose President Yoon's push for stronger NATO cooperation

The South Korean president is pushing for stronger cooperation with NATO, while many South Koreans are worried about the impact of such strong ties on increasing tensions with China.

We are going to invite NATO officials to the Allied power exercise which will take place in the Republic of Korea later this year.

And as part of enhancing our interoperability, I also welcome the fact that on the occasion of this summit, we've signed the NATO recognition certificate of the military airworthiness authority.

Yoon Suk Yeol, President of South Korea

South Korea this week announced a billion-dollar deal to supply NATO member Romania with self-propelled howitzers.

However, on South Korea's increasing cooperation with NATO, Japan and the US, many South Koreans remain hesitant.

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The public is concerned about a foreign policy that strengthens alliance-level military cooperation with Japan, without public consent, virtually abandons the balanced diplomacy strategy that the Korean government has traditionally adopted, and goes all in on international cooperation, or an exclusive regional alliance, led by the United States.

Lee Tae-Ho, People’s Solidarity for Participatory Democracy

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President Yoon has boosted South Korea's alliance with the US to new levels emphasizing strategic deterrence, the US nuclear umbrella, and routinely hosting exercises of American nuclear-capable strategic weapons near the DPRK.

South Korea's national security advisors now describe their cooperation with the US as being a nuclear-based Alliance.

Large-scale joint military drills with US forces planned for August will reflect these new guidelines on coordinated nuclear deterrence.

Many South Koreans also worry about the impact of stronger ties with the US and NATO amid increasing tensions with China.