The development of the Republic of Korea navy in a changing national defence and NorthEast Asian security environment

Park, S

Abstract

As a medium maritime state, the Republic of Korea has great interests in the sea;
maritime security is important to its prosperity and national security. In spite of this it
has traditionally been given the lowest priority in ROKN's national defence policy.
The ROK initiated a new 'Cooperative Self-Reliant Defence Policy' in the mid
2000s. Defence Reform Plan 2020 was executed in order to transform the existing
unbalanced defence structure of the ROK, that has emphasised quantity of forces, into a
more balanced one emphasising quality. Subsequent political change in the ROK has
casted doubts over the implementation of this policy.
In Northeast Asia, unsettled strategic tensions between regional nations and
military build-ups based on economic growth and evolving nationalism have meant that
the stability of the region has remained uncertain and fluctuating. Northeast Asia has
highly maritime-environmental characteristics. There are various on-going maritime
security issues, such as maritime territorial and boundary sovereignty disputes, naval
arms dynamic and SLOC security. There are also recently emerging issues, such as
piracy, illegal maritime activities and terrorism. Consequently, the maritime security
environment of the region is dynamic and unstable.
In response to diverse challenges in the new security and strategic circumstances,
the ROKN established a 'blue-water navy' policy in the mid 1990s. Since the mid 2000s,
the DRP has imposed the new development impetus on this ocean-going naval policy.
The future development of the ROKN should emphasise: effective response to
state and non-state threats; the constructive development of the ROK-U.S. alliance; the
possibility of a role as a regional strategic naval balancer; its role in the strategic
situation in the post-unification era of Korea; and, finally, an expanded international
contribution to improving the regional maritime security environment.

Citation

Park, S. The development of the Republic of Korea navy in a changing national defence and NorthEast Asian security environment. (Thesis). Salford : University of Salford

• Thesis Type: Thesis
• Deposit Date: Oct 3, 2012
• Award Date: Jan 1, 2009