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South Korea risks ‘crossfire’ by partnering Nato amid Ukraine war, US-China rivalry
- South Korea and three other countries are discussing closer security ties with Nato amid warnings of a possible response from Russia
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South Korea risks being “caught in a crossfire” by joining a meeting between Nato and four Indo-Pacific countries, a former top government adviser has warned, amid Seoul’s tougher stance against Russia and US-led integrated deterrence efforts in Europe and Asia.
However, other analysts argue that Seoul’s engagement with Nato in Washington this week is crucial as the global security landscape evolves, particularly following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its new alliance with North Korea along with the increased threat of nuclear weapons.
Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg last week invited the four countries – South Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand – to the three-day Nato summit, which ends on Thursday, to strengthen the security alliance’s partnerships in the Indo-Pacific region.
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“Iran and North Korea are fuelling Russia’s war with drones and shells. China is propping up Russia’s war economy, and providing microelectronics and other dual-use goods for Russia’s war,” Stoltenberg said. “The closer authoritarian actors align, the more important it is that we work closely with our friends in the Indo-Pacific.”
At the summit, Stoltenberg said Nato would enhance cooperation in “flagship projects” on Ukraine and new technologies, and discuss defence industry partnerships with South Korea, the Yonhap news agency said.
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Kim Joon-hyung, a security analyst who served as a former South Korean government adviser, warned on Thursday that South Korea could face pressure from Nato members to supply lethal weapons to Ukraine directly and risk turning Russia into an arch-enemy on top of nuclear-armed North Korea.
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