Caution needed in developing defense ties with Vietnam, North Korea's comrade

The Korea Times

The Korea Times

National

Sun, December 3, 2023 | 19:23

Defense

Caution needed in developing defense ties with Vietnam, North Korea's comrade

Posted : 2023-07-03 17:06

Updated : 2023-07-04 17:00

President Yoon Suk Yeol and Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong shake hands at the Presidential Palace of Vietnam in Hanoi, June 23. Yonhap

Experts say Seoul should tread carefully in taking advantage of Hanoi's bid to diversify arms import sources

By Jung Min-ho

The abysmal performance exhibited by Russia's military in Ukraine has been a PR disaster for its arms exporters and an alarming revelation for the nations that rely heavily on Russian weapons for their security.

As many countries seek to reduce their dependence on Russian military hardware, President Yoon Suk Yeol said that South Korea would reinforce defense ties with Vietnam ― one of the top buyers of Russian weapons ― at a summit with Vietnamese President Vo Van Thuong in Hanoi last month.

Yoon's surprising move has prompted South Korean arms makers to rethink their overseas business strategies, which have almost exclusively targeted those in the free world. Vietnam, a one-party state ruled by the Communist Party of Vietnam, still maintains cordial diplomatic relations with North Korea.

Foreign relations experts and industry officials told The Korea Times that South Korea needs to develop shrewd, long-term strategies as part of its efforts to take advantage of Vietnam's attempt to wean itself off its heavy dependence on Russian weapons, saying that doing so would require a careful assessment of the geopolitical situation. Both the potential benefits and the risks associated with South Korea's expansion into this uncharted market are substantial, they added.

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), the nation's sole aircraft manufacturer, signed an agreement recently with Viettel Aerospace Institute, an affiliate of Vietnam's largest mobile network operator, to develop and produce helicopters.

According to KAI officials, Vietnam is the first socialist country the firm aims to build a long-term business relationship with. They said that the KAI seeks to expand into the defense sector after strengthening in non-military cooperation first.

"No other socialist countries have been considered for such business partnerships, and the one with Vietnam was possible only because the U.S. lifted its ban on weapons sales to the country in 2016, given its unique geopolitical position," a KAI official said on Monday.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, left, and Vietnamese President Nguyen Phu Trong raise their hands during a state banquet in Hanoi, in this March 1, 2019 photo. EPA-Yonhap

Vietnam is unique because it has good relations with both democratic nations such as the United States and with its old communist allies: China, Cuba, Laos and North Korea.

"Vietnam has on-and-off tensions with China while maintaining deep commercial ties with it. As Vietnam seeks to expand cooperation with countries like the United States in the area of defense, South Korea should take advantage of it," said Kim Jung-sup, a security expert at the Sejong Institute, a local think tank.

As many countries in Southeast Asia maintain neutral diplomatic positions so as to maximize their national interests in dealing with the Washington-Beijing rivalry, South Korean arms makers' success in Vietnam could lead to the expansion of their presence in the region, he noted.

An official at a major South Korean arms maker said Yoon's announcement of strengthening defense ties with Vietnam was unexpected.

"So far, we have targeted mostly European countries, members of the so-called free world," the official said.

He said his company's collaboration with the government would be critical in expanding its overseas business, as it couldn't sustain such efforts without strong diplomatic ties and trust, but refused to comment on whether the new policy has affected the company's plans.

South Korea has much to gain from a stronger relationship with Vietnam, which can provide important support in its diplomatic strategies for China, North Korea and other members of ASEAN, an intergovernmental organization of 10 Southeast Asian countries, said Kim Young-sun, a former secretary general of the ASEAN-Korea Center.

"But defense cooperation requires the highest levels of trust between the affected countries as there is always a risk of technology leakages," he said. "Vietnam has built firm ties with us. But that does not necessarily mean its decades-long ties to its old allies such as North Korea have weakened. With that in mind, the government should tread very carefully."

mj6c2@koreatimes.co.kr