Page 233 - 2020 Defence White Paper

[Chart 6-3] Multilateral Security Consultative Meetings Participated in by the MND

Track 1 25) Multilateral Security Meeting Track 1.5 26) Multilateral Security Meeting
• ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus • Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD)
(ADMM-Plus) • Asia Security Summit (ASS)
• ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) • Halifax International Security Forum (HISF)
• Tokyo Defense Forum (TDF) • Northeast Asia Cooperation Dialogue (NEACD)
• Fullerton Forum

Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD) The MND has been hosting the SDD–a
multilateral security dialogue joined by
defense vice-ministerial-level officials and civilian security experts from all over the
world–annually since 2012 to contribute to multilateral security cooperation in the
Asia-Pacific region and the establishment of peace on the Korean Peninsula. The
SDD contributes to building trust in the defense domain and promoting multilateral
cooperation by providing a venue for dialogue and discussions on common
international interests as well as the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and
in the Asia-Pacific region. In addition, the MND holds various bilateral and small-
scale multilateral conferences with the participating countries at the SDD and seeks Chapter 6
ways to promote mutual defense exchanges and cooperation. In recent years,
delegations from major countries around the world–including the Asia-Pacific,
Americas, Europe, Middle East, and Africa–have attended, reinforcing the
dialogue’s status as a major high-level multilateral security meeting in the region.
The 8th SDD in 2019, the largest in scale since its inception with 53 countries and 2
international organizations participating, was held under the theme "Building Peace

Together: Challenges and Visions". At the dialogue, the ROK explained its efforts to
ease military tensions since the signing of the CMA, and formed a consensus among 2020 Seoul Defense
Dialogue
the participating countries on the permanent settlement of peace on the Korean
Peninsula. In addition, the ROK has sought ways to promote cooperation in defense 25)
Multilateral security
and the defense industry by holding meetings held between
governments to promote
mini-multilateral meetings, including regional and world peace
the defense vice-ministerial talks with and stability, and to discuss
participating countries’
Visegrad Group, ASEAN, and Central common security interests
Asia, and bilateral talks with 25 26)
Multilateral security
participating countries including India, meetings engaging
participating nations’
Canada, Singapore, and France. governments, civilian
groups, and academics
The 9th SDD in 2020 was held in the to promote regional and
world peace and stability,
form of a special seminar, i.e., video and to discuss participating
2020 Seoul Defense Dialogue video seminar countries’ common
debate, considering the global spread (September 2020) security interests

Chapter 6. Developing a Robust ROK–US Alliance that is Mutually Complementary and Promoting Defense Exchanges and Cooperation 231