Page 223 - 2020 Defence White Paper

cooperation, including PKOs between the two countries, and signed an MOU
Regarding Cooperation Related to Missing Korean War Personnel to promptly
repatriate the remains of Australian Korean-War veterans. The Defense Ministers of
both countries convened a defense ministerial meeting on the same day to conduct
in-depth discussions on strengthening cooperation in science and technology and
the defense industry based on the MOU on Cooperation in the Fields of Defense
Research, Development, Testing and Evaluation signed in November 2019 and on
invigorating combined exercises between the countries including the HAIDOLI-
WALLABY exercise (ROK–Australian Navy combined exercise).
The ROK–New Zealand Defense Ministerial Meeting was held at the ADMM-
Plus in November 2019. Both ministers evaluated the security situation on the
Korean Peninsula and the progress of security and defense cooperation between
the two countries, and agreed to make close efforts to promote defense cooperation
in various fields such as combined exercises, defense industry cooperation, and
personnel exchanges.

Southwest Asia including India As the ROK government strengthens vari- Chapter 6
ous forms of cooperation with India by
promoting the NSP for peace and prosperity in the region, interest in defense
cooperation with countries in Southwest Asia is increasing. Accordingly, the ROK
government is actively promoting defense exchanges and cooperation through high-
level personnel exchanges and by holding regular consultative meetings with major
countries in Southwest Asia including India.

In particular, the ROK and India have developed their relations by extending
the scope of exchanges and cooperation based on the increase in free trade and
investments, common values of democracy and market economy, and common
aspiration for peace and prosperity. In 2015, the relationship between the two
countries was upgraded to a "special strategic partnership", and the two leaders made
mutual state visit in 2018 and 2019, thereby forming a closer relationship. Such firm
relationship between the ROK and India led to the development of national defense
cooperation, in which exchanges between high-ranking military personnel including
Defense Ministers were actively carried out. A Defense Ministerial Meeting was
held with the Indian Minister of Defence at the Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD) in
September 2019, and the ROK Minister of National Defense officially visited India
at the invitation of the Indian Minister of Defence. Highly evaluating the military
exchanges between the two countries, the Defense Ministers held various regular
consultative meetings including the ROK–India Vice Foreign and Defense Ministers’

Chapter 6. Developing a Robust ROK–US Alliance that is Mutually Complementary and Promoting Defense Exchanges and Cooperation 221