Washington’s build-up toward possible military action in Venezuela and Iran has attracted concern that the attacks are part of an irreversible decline. For its distant middle power partners, this raises a question: must middle powers fall when their patron does?
The U.S, or at least some of those within influential circles in the U.S, are creeping towards war with China. Preparations are well underway. Australia, Japan, and South Korea, are pushed, prodded, and compelled to line up and play. They’re playing knock and run.
Spending time in Seoul’s epistemic community—among journalists, academics, and policymakers—I’m often struck by how rarely Australia is seen as an independent actor in international affairs. When discussing regional security, trade policy, or strategic alliances, Australia is routinely framed as an extension of the United States - often an annoying and arrogant extension.
Australia and South Korea have increasingly centered hopes of improving the bilateral relationship on the supply of critical minerals essential for South Korea’s technology and manufacturing sectors.
Sam Roggeveen's Echidna Strategy argues Australia has the potential to act more independently - could a Korea also follow an echidna strategy?
There’s an oft-repeated anecdote that circulates amongst the more cynically minded foreign policy analysts in Seoul – if you understand how to sell washing machines, you understand South Korea’s foreign policy.
Australia, just like the US, needs to start paying much more attention to South Korea and its role in an uncertain strategic environment.
If the Australia-Korea relationship is to grow to a level that can shoulder the highs and lows, and negate the need for “windows of opportunity,” there needs to be a serious rethink.
Australia and South Korea need to first build a stronger shared narrative in order to understand what each other means by the term “strategic”.
Australia and Korea signed a billion-dollar weapons contract, but it is only a very small step - there is much more to do to build the relationship.
