"ROK-U.S. Alliance Must Span Economy and Technology, Not Just the Military"

- Beyond a U.S.-centered order, toward a multilateral East Asian security architecture

[High-Level Defense Session] Collective Defense or Collective Security: Toward a New Security Architecture in East Asia

❍ The High-Level Defense Session "Between Collective Defense and Collective Security: Toward a New Security Architecture in East Asia," co-hosted by the Jeju Peace Institute (JPI) and the Asia-Pacific Leadership Network (APLN), was held at Crystal Hall A of the Haevich Hotel at 5:10 p.m. on Wednesday, June 24.

❍ Moderated by Robert HILL, former Minister for Defence of Australia, the panel featured SUH Wook, former Minister of National Defense; Harry B. HARRIS Jr., former U.S. Ambassador to Korea and former Commander of U.S. Pacific Command; and KITAMURA Shigeru, former Secretary-General of Japan's National Security Secretariat.

❍ The session was arranged to explore a multilateral and equal system of cooperation beyond the U.S.-centered East Asian security order. The panelists analyzed the structure of the current international order and the compound security crises in East Asia, then proposed new strategic directions for East Asian countries, including Korea.

❍ Former Minister of National Defense SUH Wook said, "The key task for East Asia's future security order is not choosing between collective defense and collective security, but how to combine the two in a balanced way," proposing an "ABC strategy" — Alliance, Balance, and Cooperation — as Korea's strategic direction.

❍ On the first pillar, SUH said, "In the area of alliance, we must develop the ROK-U.S. alliance into a comprehensive strategic alliance that spans economy and technology beyond the military, while also strengthening our self-reliant defense capabilities." On balance, he called for managing relations with relevant countries so that "strengthening alliances does not harden into a new Cold War structure," and avoiding "the friend-or-foe binary bloc logic." On cooperation, he urged expanding minilateral networks with like-minded and middle-power countries while building "an inclusive security order — through functional cooperation in areas such as maritime safety, cyber, climate, and health — that can also work with states that do not share the same values."

❍ Harry B. HARRIS Jr., former U.S. Ambassador to Korea, said, "Effective collective security must extend well beyond traditional military power to encompass economic security, technological leadership, supply chain resilience, energy security, cyber defense, artificial intelligence, and protection of the global commons." He added that "cooperation is not a choice but a strategic imperative, and the lessons of North Korea, Iran, and Ukraine reinforce the importance of strong alliances, sustained investment in defense, and enduring diplomatic engagement."

❍ KITAMURA Shigeru, former Secretary-General of Japan's National Security Secretariat, argued that middle powers must move beyond defensive adaptation toward active norm-setting and strategic design. "National security can no longer be achieved through military means alone," he said. "It requires the integrated application of the DIMAT framework — Diplomacy, Information, Military, Economy, and Technology.“