The annual Seoul Defense Dialogue opened its three-day run on Wednesday with an aim to seek viable, practical solutions to promoting trust among nations in East Asia ― a region that has long been beset by security rivalries, and historical and territorial disputes.

Under the main theme of “From Conflict to Cooperation,” this year’s SDD brought together 220 government officials and experts from 24 countries, the United Nations, the European Union and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization for in-depth discussions about multinational cooperation to help foster regional peace and stability. 

Launched by Seoul’s Ministry of National Defense in 2012, the SDD is a forum that the MND has pushed to develop into a central platform for the region’s senior defense officials and security experts to discuss an effective confidence-building mechanism in East Asia.

This year’s SDD is particularly crucial as it was held against the backdrop of the worsening “Asian Paradox.” The Asian Paradox, which Seoul has pushed to address under President Park Geun-hye’s trust-building initiative, refers to the region’s deep economic exchanges but limited cooperation in political and security areas.

In recent years, China’s maritime disputes with Southeast Asian countries have escalated. Its strategic rivalry with the U.S. has also intensified as the U.S. has been pushing for its “rebalancing” policy toward the Asia-Pacific, a campaign to deepen military and diplomatic engagement in the region amid the reemergence of China.

Amid changes in the contours of security and politics, Japan has been pushing for heavier armament to undertake a greater security role. The deepening security cooperation between the U.S. and Japan has also unnerved China, prompting the emerging Asian power to accelerate its military modernization.

Against this backdrop, the third SDD was held with hope that exchanges of creative ideas and fresh perspectives would help find practical solutions to military tensions that have been rising in this region.

There are several characteristics of this year’s SDD. Whereas the second SDD focused largely on discussing ways to create a confidence-building mechanism in the military domain, this year’s dialogue seeks to explore lessons from Germany’s reunification experience and see what can be applied for the reunification of the Korean Peninsula.

Another feature is the expansion of the forum’s agenda. This year’s SDD deals with a wider array of regional cooperation issues including cyberdefense, disaster relief and maritime security, in addition to regional trust-building. With the invitation of NATO Deputy Secretary-General Alexander Vershbow, the SDD is also expected to delve into the European peace-building process.

China’s active participation in the SDD is also noteworthy. For the first time, a group of nine representatives joined the forum. This year’s SDD also features a “cyber working group” in which senior officials from the participating countries discuss cooperation in the new security domain and applicable policy options to enhance cybersecurity.

With great insights from participants, the SDD seeks to play a central role in facilitating South Korea’s two major policy initiatives ― the Korean Peninsula Trust-Building Process and the Northeast Asia Peace and Cooperation initiative.

The SDD was initially launched as a regional security dialogue platform. But it is now seeking to connect itself to other defense dialogues, including one with Europe to help create a synergic impact on collective efforts to improve regional security.

Korea has long been a participant in defense dialogues such as the Shangri-La Dialogue. However, through the SDD, the Korean government hopes to make a greater contribution to regional peace, and at the same time, to effectively promote its North Korea and foreign policies and gain international support for them.

Although uncertainties in the regional security landscape make it difficult to paint a positive security outlook, what still matters is a positive mindset that would help us carve out a bright future. Should the SDD be sustained in the long term as a strong regional forum, I am sure that it will contribute significantly to overcoming the Asian Paradox and realizing a “One Asia.” 

By Hwang Jae-ho

Hwang Jae-ho is a professor in the Division of International Studies at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies and director of the university’s Global Strategic Cooperation Center. He has advised the Seoul Defense Dialogue since its establishment in 2012. ― Ed.