Page 221 - 2020 Defence White Paper

the defense industry between the two countries. In September 2018, President Moon
signed an MOU on defense cooperation with Brunei, the ROK–ASEAN dialogue
coordinating nation, to serve as the driving force for the development of defense
cooperation between the two countries.
In line with the ROK government’s NSP, the MND is strengthening its cooperation
in defense and the defense industry with Southeast Asian countries by holding
ministerial- and vice-ministerial-level meetings, various policy working-level
meetings, and regular meetings between respective military services.
First, a ministerial meeting was convened with the Defense Ministers of Vietnam
and Singapore during the 18th SLD in May 2019. The ministers of the three
countries, exchanged opinions on the regional security situation including the
Korean Peninsula and measures to promote their defense cooperation. In November
2019, the ROK Minister of National Defense participated in the ADMM-Plus held in
Thailand to hold bilateral talks with the Defense Ministers of Vietnam and Indonesia
and Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand. Along with their discussion on development
plans for cooperation in defense and the defense industry, the ROK called for active
support and cooperation for the complete denuclearization and establishment of Chapter 6
permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula. In December 2019, during his visit to

Indonesia, where active defense cooperation is taking place based on a special ROK-
Indonesia strategic partnership, the ROK Defense Minister held a meeting with the
Minister of Defense and the Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal, and Security
Affairs of Thailand, and agreed to upgrade their cooperation in defense and the
defense industry to a higher level based on the ROK–Indonesia Defense Cooperation
Agreement.
In Singapore, the Vice Defense Ministers of the ROK and Singapore attended the
Fullerton Forum in January 2019 to discuss defense issues and ways to enhance
22)
defense industry and technological cooperation between the two countries. At the
22)
8th vice-ministerial-level ROK–Vietnam Strategic Defense Dialogue held in June A track 1.5 (government
plus civilian participants)
2019, the two countries discussed in depth pending defense issues, such as high-level director general–level
multilateral security
military exchanges, cybersecurity cooperation, and defense industry and logistics consultative meeting
cooperation. At the Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD) in September 2019, the ROK known as the Shangri-La
Dialogue Sherpa meeting
Minister of National Defense held bilateral talks with the Philippines Undersecretary established in 2002 by
(under the supervision
for Defense Policy to discuss the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and of) the United Kingdom’s
International Institute for
issues on defense exchanges and cooperation. During a meeting with the Laos Strategic Studies (IISS), the
forum is participated by
Permanent Secretary of National Defence, the ROK Minister of National Defense around 30 countries from
the Asia-Pacific region,
acknowledged the establishment of the ROK Defense Attaché Office in Laos and including the ROK, the US,
China, Japan, and Russia,
agreed to further develop their defense cooperation based on the establishment as well as the EU and NATO

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