Page 229 - 2020 Defence White Paper

fense met with the Prime Minister
of Sweden who visited the ROK in
December 2019 and exchanged broad
opinions on the regional security
situation on the Korean Peninsula and
Europe as well as ways for defense
and defense industry exchanges and
cooperation. In addition, defense vice- Talks with the ROK Minister of National Defense and
the Prime Minister of Sweden (December 2019)
ministerial talks were held with the
Finnish Deputy Minister of Defense who visited the ROK to attend the 8th SDD. The
two countries agreed to further strengthen cooperation in defense and in the defense
industry including the K-9 Thunder. (self-propelled artillery of the ROK)
The ROK Minister of National Defense asked for NATO’s cooperation in towards
the ROK’s efforts to establish peace on the Korean Peninsula in talks with the
Chairman of the NATO Military Committee in May 2019. The two sides discussed
ways to strengthen cooperation based on key interests such as cyber-cooperation and
establishment of a military consultative meeting. In 2019 in particular, the MND Chapter 6
dispatched ROK military off cers to the International Military Staff (IMS) of NATO

to strengthen cooperation between the ROK and NATO.
To enhance cooperation between the ROK and the EU, the Cheonghae Unit has
participated in the EU’s counter-piracy operations since 2017 in accordance with the
ROK–EU basic agreement on crisis management that took effect in late 2016.
The ROK Minister of National Defense held talks with EU foreign affairs and
security policy senior representatives in June 2019 and hosted the 3rd ROK–
EU security and defense dialogue in November 2019 which are efforts to expand
practical security cooperation with the EU.
Canada, another key member of NATO, is also a participating nation in the Korean
War and a traditional ally of the ROK that has consistently expressed its support for the
Korean Peninsula peace policy. The ROK Vice Minister of National Defense held talks
with the Canadian Deputy Minister of National Defence during the SDD in September
2019 to discuss pending defense cooperation issues between the two countries.

Central and South America The ROK has been actively engaging in eco-
nomic cooperation with countries in Central and
South America, and continues to seek defense cooperation measures in various f elds
to expand defense diplomacy in the field of defense and to garner support towards
the ROK’s defense policies.

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