Strategic Partnership: A Step towards Peace in Korean Peninsula
Strategic Partnership: A Step towards Peace in Korean Peninsula
Since the beginning of diplomatic relations between Moscow and Seoul in 1990, the Soviet Union and then the Russian Federation consider the all agreements between the two countries as a step towards establishing peace and security in the Korean Peninsula. The Agreement on Foundation of Relations, dated 1992, was signed by Russian President B. Yeltsin and his Korean counterpart Ro De Uh. In the scope of this agreement Moscow supported Inter-Korean dialogue which can eliminate political and military confrontation between South and North Koreas. During the summit of 1999 Presidents of Russia and South Korea, based on bilateral agreements between the two countries in the fields of economy, scientific and technical cooperation as well as cultural exchange, reaffirmed determination to seek the ways that assure to settle the dispute between Seoul and Pyongyang through negotiations, without interference of the third countries.
In the context of the cooperation between Russia and South Korea it is worth noting that both Moscow and Seoul remain sensible to each other matters which can hamper the bilateral relations. Thus Russia highly appreciated the decision of Seoul to stay out of US plans to deploy the anti-ballistic missile defense in the Far East. In return, the Republic of Korea welcomed the decision of Russia to not prolong the Soviet Union – North Korea Treaty of 1961[1]. That gives ground to boost the bilateral cooperation and the rewards of such a partnership are reaped.
Denuclearization
November 9, 2006 North Korea performed a nuclear weapon test. Ground zero of the nuclear explosion was 177 kilometers off the international border of the Russian Federation. Moscow opposed such nuclear tests stating that any development of nuclear or missile technologies is not acceptable regardless who or what stays behind them. Follow a policy of non-proliferation Russia actively seeks negotiation sites to eliminate the threat of war in the Asia-Pacific Region in general and the Korean Peninsula in particular, using regional organizations like Association of South East Asian Nations, Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation, Asia Cooperation Dialog, Conference on Interaction and Confidence Building Measures in Asia, etc.
South Korea supports the position of Russia and also uses international and regional rostrums to bring it home to world community the importance of denuclearization. President Lee Myung-Bak released a statement at the end of the ASEAN-Republic of Korea Commemorative Summit condemning North Korea's nuclear test as "clear violations" of UN Security Council resolutions and the agreements reached at six-party nuclear disarmament talks as peaceful denuclearization of the Korean peninsula was essential to keep the regional peace . "North Korea's underground test is a serious threat to peace and security in North-East Asia and beyond," Lee Myung-Bak said at the closing press conference.
The problem of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula cannot be settled without considering current international developments. Unfortunately, today international relations are affected by a factor of power, in other words “might makes right”. We witness how some countries talk in terms of ultimatum and sanctions and how a block policy is reviving. The clear examples of what “democracy” can make with an oppressor who runs an undesirable state were demonstrated to international community. These are former Yugoslavia, Iraq, Libya and Syria which is tottering on the edge of civil war with likely foreign incursion that may follow. Having regard to the reality of modern international policy some countries feel themselves as impaired and try to secure its borders by all means including the development of own nuclear technologies, weapons and weapon delivery systems.
However it does not mean that one should come to terms with possession of nuclear weapon by North Korea. Russia does not recognize a nuclear status of Pyongyang and works together with other members of the six-party talks[2]in order to convince the North Korean political and military leadership to eliminate the nuclear weapon development program.
Moscow and Seoul adhere principals of assurance of security for two Koreas, Japan and other states of the region. Based on this principle the work on the settlement of nuclear problem in the Korean Peninsula should be focused. The assurance should be solid and rather convincing. The result of the negotiations and further development of the situation on the Peninsula will affect not only North –East Asia countries but all states of Asia-Pacific region and beyond.
The success of denuclearization of the Peninsula will create a precedent which can be utilized and implement when similar problems in other countries are waiting for settlement, i.e. nuclear problem of Iran, possession of nuclear weapon by Israel, etc. It is worth noting that the settlement of the Korean problem is going to be a weighty contribution to the peace process at the international level.
The second point that needs to be highlighted is that denuclearization negotiations are conducted in the frameworks of the six-party talks. These talks are very important as they exemplify the way how problems should be solved in the XXI century using the method of collective elaboration of a solution rather than using unilateral acts of force and threatening. This example of collective elaboration can mend the getting broken architecture of modern policy where, as it was said above, “might makes right”.
It is very important that Russia and South Korea share these views and come out in a cognate platform.
Military Cooperation
Russia suffers the permanent conflict which is taking place on the Korean Peninsula. Hence, it narrows the capabilities of Moscow and Seoul to develop lucrative bilateral relations in all industry sectors, including military-technical cooperation.
Today South Korean Army is equipped mainly with US made weapon systems and ammunition. There are about 120 Russian tanks T-80U and BMP -3 in the service. In the end of 90s Moscow also delivered several man-portable SAMs “Igla” and ant-tank missiles “Metis-M”. In 2002 a hundred million dollar contract was signed between Russia and RK for manufacture of three air cushion amphibious assault landing craft type 12061 E “Murena”. In 2003 Russian MiG Aircraft Corporation delivered 23 light four-seat aircraft Il-103. The worth of the deal is estimated around nine million US dollars. Between 2003 and 2006 RK purchased armament and military hardware from Russia at a sum of 534 million US dollars.
However, the attempts to boost such cooperation have been successfully implemented in recent years. In 1997 Moscow and Seoul signed an Agreement on Military and Technical Cooperation. Since that time the exchange of military delegations and port visits were executed. In addition the uniformed personnel of the two countries underwent training programs in the National Military Academies in Russia and South Korea.
There is a signed agreement between Russia and South Korea on cooperation in military industrial complex. In 2005 on the eve of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit than Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Korea Ban Ki-moon mentioned that the establishment of joint ventures and exchange of technologies were fallen behind other economic ties between countries like in energy and exploration of natural resources. At the same time Mr. Ki-moon expressed his hopes that military cooperation between Moscow and Seoul would be more intensive.
In 2002 than Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov expressed his satisfaction in the context of relations between Russian and South Korean Ministers of Defense. In particular he mentions that relations between the two countries are progressively developed in the fields of military-technical cooperation, training and education. The former Ministry of Defense highlighted that Moscow and Seoul had much in common in terms of security in the Asian-Pacific region.
During a visit of Minister of Defense of Republic of Korea in the same year to Moscow, Russian and Korean sides discussed possibilities to arrange a joint military exercise and purchase of Russian made military hardware in particular tactical aircraft, tanks, infantry personnel carriers and air-defense systems.
Talking about AD systems it is worth noting that first Korean mid-range anti-aircraft guided missile system KM-SAM was based on a prototype made by Russian specialists of JSC "NPO "Almaz" named after A. A. Raspletin together with their colleagues from Doosan DST under the leadership of Samsung Thales.
Another significant step towards strengthening of Russian – South Korean military cooperation was an official visit of Minister of Defense of RK Lee Sang-Hee to Moscow where he held talks with his Russian counterpart Anatoly Serdyukov. As a result of a comprehensive and meaningful dialog was an agreement to establish a direct communications channel between 11th Air Force and Air Defense Army (Russia, Far East) and South Korean Command and Control Air Force Centre.
In the framework of that visit the two sides discussed a program aimed at military cooperation in the scope of maintenance and repair of Russia made military hardware that were delivered to RK previously. The program entails the arrangement of 18 events which were supposed to take place in 2009-2010.
However the close military alliance between South Korea and the United States of America impedes, at some extend, the military cooperation with Russia. The end of 90-s of the last century could be a new line in the field of military and technical bilateral relations between Moscow and Seoul. That time Russia participated in two three-billion-dollar tenders for delivery of fighters and helicopters to the Republic of Korea. The winner of fighter tender was declared the American F-15K aircraft. As far as the second tender is concerned, South Korean Minister of Defense set eyes on 36 Russian attack helicopters Ka-52, codenamed “Alligator”. Moscow, along with delivery of rotary wing aircraft, offered a license assembling of these helicopters in Republic of Korea.
Unexpectedly, the Korean officials decided to backtrack the tender and launched their own helicopter engineering program. Such a decision signals that Seoul was not ready for the deal with Moscow concerning the purchase and license manufacture of the combat helicopters. That fortifies the point – South Korea is under strong influence affected by the United States of America.
Strategic Partnership
In the scope of Joint Declaration-2008 Russia and South Korea clearly defined fields of cooperation and joint strategy on the way to settle global problems. The core of the Russian-Korean cooperation is a political solution of the Korean nuclear problem. In July 2008 during a meeting between Russian President D. Medvedev and his Korean colleague Lee Myung-bak the latter expressed his gratitude saying that Moscow plays a decisive role in the six-party talks. Russian President D. Medvedev, in his turn, stated that Russia would keep on applying sponsor efforts on the way of denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. In September 2008 in Moscow the Russian-Korean Summit participants agreed to boost the bilateral relations between Moscow and Seoul up to a strategic level.
According to experts, the partnership between the two countries has extrinsic value in the context of the multiparty security system in the North-East Asia region based on balance and checks. The threat of nuclear weapons proliferation in the region unites the Russian Federation and the Republic of Korea. However, the problem of the Peninsula deems not to be settled in isolation from global state of affairs.
Today the six-side talks are considered to be the most fortunate format to elaborate security measures in the North-East Asia region. During the last summit in Moscow South Korea expressed its support to Russia which acts as Chairman of Working Group on Pease and Security (in the frameworks of the six-party talks). Russia, in its turn, supports South Korea as Chairman of Working Group on Economic and Energy Development.
Therefore, the evolution of Russian-South Korean relations is reckoned to be gradually boosted in all fields of cooperation.
Anton CHERNOV
Deputy Editor-in-Chief
Nation’s Arsenal: Defense Industry Information & Analysis
[1] Soviet Union – North Korean Treaty, a formal mutual security act was signed in 1961 by N. Khrushchev and Kim Il-sung. The Treaty was prolonged every 10 years.
[2] The six-party talks aim to find a peaceful resolution to the security concerns as a result of the North Korean nuclear weapons program. There has been a series of meetings with six participating states: Russian Federation, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Korea, People's Republic of China, United States of America and State of Japan.
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