[INTERVIEW] Australia deputy PM welcomes Korea's Pacific commitment

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defense of Australia Richard Marles speaks with the Korea JoongAng Daily and the JoongAng Ilbo in Seoul on Tuesday. [OFFICE OF THE DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER OF AUSTRALIA]

Australia welcomes Korea's heightened attention to the Pacific Islands, a region that has seen more strategic competition lately, said Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles during his visit to Seoul.

"We are seeing greater strategic competition play out within the Pacific," said Marles, speaking with the Korea JoongAng Daily and its affiliate the JoongAng Ilbo in Seoul on Tuesday. "But our belief is that if we focus on development, if we focus on challenges such as climate change, and [if] we do that with countries that come with the same intent, and Korea is a good example, then the geostrategic issues will sort themselves."

Marles, who also serves as defense minister of the Pacific nation, was in Seoul to attend the Korea-Pacific Islands Summit on Monday, meeting with President Yoon Suk Yeol and Korean Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-sup before concluding his trip Tuesday.

Korea pledged to double its overseas development aid to the Pacific islands to nearly $39.9 million through 2027.

"The engagement of Korea is so welcomed, we really relish the opportunity of being able to work with Korea in partnering in the Pacific to try to build that human development," said Marles.

"The Pacific is of enormous importance to Australia," he added. "We seek to be the natural partner of choice for the countries in the Pacific, but we understand that's not something we have by right, we need to earn that by engaging and working closely with the countries in the Pacific in their own interest around their development."

Marles also visited the Joint Security Area at the inter-Korean border on Tuesday, and the War Memorial of Korea — both locations are stark reminders of security tensions on the Peninsula and the 1950-53 Korean War.

Australia was the first country after the United States to commit all three branches of its armed forces to the war. Some 10,657 soldiers, 4,507 sailors and 2,000 airmen from Australia participated in the conflict from June 29, 1950, to July 27, 1953, for a total of 17,164 personnel.

"It is a reminder of the extent of sacrifice of Koreans and a real reminder of the sacrifice of Australians here, and therefore the shared history that we have," Marles said, referring to the War Memorial, and his visit there to pay tribute to the Australian veterans of the war.

His visit this week coincided with the 20th Proliferation Security Initiative meeting, an annual defense forum with representatives of around 70 nations including the United States, Japan, Australia, and Eastern Endeavor 23, a combination of maritime and tabletop exercises held annually in the region and hosted this year by Korea.

"We really see that our own national security lies in the collective security of the region in which we live," said Marles. "At the heart of that is the maintenance of the global rules-based order within our region."

Australia's place in the regional security dynamics of the Indo-Pacific has gained traction over the years as the Pacific nation, a member of the military intelligence-sharing partnership Five Eyes, joined the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue with the United States, India and Japan, and struck an agreement on nuclear submarines with the U.S. and the U.K., dubbed Aukus, more recently.

Beijing has balked at the changing security dynamics in the region, even accusing Canberra and its partners of sabotaging China's relations in the Pacific.

In response to a question on whether Aukus and the other regional security apparatus in the region may be worsening security polarization in the region particularly in regard to China, Marles said competition and rivalry with China are not Australia's intention.

"There has definitely been a change of tone in our relationship with China," he said, referring to a string of ministerial meetings between the two countries starting with his meeting with the Chinese defense minister last June. "The Defense Dialogue has been put back in place and we are putting much of our trade back in place. China's our largest trading partner and we value a productive relationship with China."

Marles acknowledged there are "real challenges" in the relationship with China, adding that Australia "will work with China where we can but we will also disagree with China where we must."

Australia in its Defense Strategic Review published earlier this year said China's military build-up is "occurring without transparency" to the Indo-Pacific region, and the Australian defense system must grapple with a world where the United States is "no longer the unipolar leader" of the region.

Former Australian prime ministers in their recent interviews warned of security risks involved with escalating tensions with China in the region.

"Ultimately, we want China to take us seriously as we want the world to take us seriously, and central to that is making sure that we get the hard power equation correct," said Marles. "Which is why we will make the necessary decisions that we need to build the defense force for the future which will protect Australia."

BY ESTHER CHUNG [chung.juhee@joongang.co.kr]