[ANALYSIS] What's behind S. Korea's deployment of largest-ever Navy fleet to RIMPAC?

The ROKS Marado, left, and the USS Abraham Lincoln, right, at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, June 30. Korea Times photo by Jung Da-min

Through mouthpiece, Global Times, Beijing expresses discontent over Seoul's participation

By Jung Da-min

The Republic of Korea Navy is participating in this year's international Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) maritime exercise, sending its largest military force ever since joining the U.S.-led biennial exercise in 1990.

ROK Navy forces participating in RIMPAC 2022 include the 14,500-ton ROKS Marado amphibious assault ship with helicopter landing platform, 7,600-ton destroyer ROKS Sejong the Great, 4,400-ton destroyer ROKS Munmu the Great, 1,800-ton submarine ROKS Shin Dol-seok, a ROK Marine Corps amphibious assault company, the 59th Naval Mobile Construction Battalion, four ROK Navy UDT/SEAL teams, nine KAAV7A1 amphibious assault vehicles, two Lynx helicopters and 1,000 total personnel.

The ROKS Marado arrives at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, June 20, to participate in the U.S.-led international Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) maritime exercise that kicked off on June 30. From RIMPAC official Twitter account

The ROK Navy sending its largest-ever fleet to RIMPAC is natural considering that its role in the exercise has been growing along with its force improvement and based upon the Korea-U.S. alliance. However, growing tensions between the U.S. and China, including maritime tensions in the South China Sea, have emerged as diplomatic challenges for South Korea.

On July 2, China's state-run Global Times cited Chinese experts who said South Korea's deployment of its largest-ever contingent to the ongoing RIMPAC 2022 sends "a dangerous signal that the Yoon Suk-yeol administration is deviating from a neutral line amid China-U.S. competition and losing diplomatic autonomy to serve the U.S.'s Asia-Pacific strategy, which also faced concerns in South Korea over relations and cooperation with China."

South Korean experts said it is true that there has been a policy shift amid the power transition from the previous liberal Moon Jae-in administration to the current conservative Yoon Suk-yeol administration, which takes more firm positions when it comes to the Korea-U.S. military alliance, while the former took a more "low-key" position on the matter to push its peace diplomacy with North Korea.

The ROKS Marado is docked at Jeju Naval Base, May 31, before its departure to Hawaii to participate in the U.S.-led international Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) maritime exercise. / Courtesy of Republic of Korea Navy

Republic of Korea Navy personnel participating in the U.S.-led international Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) maritime exercise pose on the flight deck of the ROKS Marado, May 31, before departing for Hawaii. Courtesy of Republic of Korea Navy

But South Korean experts also said that the difference between the Moon Jae-in administration and the Yoon Suk-yeol administration lies in how openly it talks about South Korea's military alliance with the U.S., while the South Korean government has consistently sought to strengthen its military forces and keep a firm military alliance with the U.S.

Park Yong-han, an associate research fellow at the state-run Korea Institute for Defense Analyses' Center for Security and Strategy, said participating in this year's RIMPAC is a great opportunity for the ROK Navy which has been seeking to secure its own light aircraft carrier.

"When the ROK Navy's plan to secure a light aircraft carrier is in progress, the ability to actually operate it is required," Park said. "Its participation in RIMPAC means that it will gain indirect experience operating a light aircraft-led combat fleet by conducting joint exercises with various ships from other countries."

Park said the ROK Navy's role in RIMPAC has grown over time and will grow further in the future, and that its main intention is to cultivate its capabilities through such large-scale combined exercises.

But South Korean experts said they believe China could feel threatened by South Korea's participation, regardless of its intention.

"From China's point of view, South Korea's participation in RIMPAC is an extension of the Korea-U.S.-Japan alliance or the so-called siege strategy against China, when trade and maritime disputes between China and the U.S. are growing in the region," Park said.

A Republic of Korea Navy crew of a P-3 Orion maritime patrol aircraft participating in the U.S.-led international Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) maritime exercise poses on the flight deck of the ROKS Marado, May 31, before departing for Hawaii. Courtesy of Republic of Korea Navy

Republic of Korea Navy personnel participating in the U.S.-led international Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) maritime exercise pose on the vehicle deck of the ROKS Marado, May 31, before departing for Hawaii. Courtesy of Republic of Korea Navy

Park Won-gon, a professor of North Korean studies at Ewha Womans University, said the Yoon Suk-yeol administration's contrasting position from the Moon Jae-in administration when it comes to South Korea's military alliance with the U.S. has been evident in several events such as this year's RIMPAC as well as the NATO Summit Yoon also attended last month.

"The difference is evident. The Moon Jae-in administration also participated in various multinational maritime exercises just as the Yoon Suk-yeol administration is doing, but the former did not publicize or announce them. The Moon government sent an evident message that it will minimize its participation in the U.S.'s alliance strategy," he said.

The professor said the U.S., by holding multinational joint military exercises like RIMPAC, seems to be seeking a new security strategy of establishing a NATO-like collective security system in the Indo-Pacific region, although it cannot be the same level of collective security as NATO.

"Although establishing a collective security system exactly like NATO in the Indo-Pacific region is simply not possible, the U.S. is still seeking to establish multiple small multinational cooperative bodies in the region by holding various multinational joint military exercises including RIMPAC," he said.

The professor said China's backlash is natural, but he believes it is hard for the Chinese government to explicitly pressure the Yoon Suk-yeol government.

"The Yoon Suk-yeol government has not made any explicit comments condemning or targeting China, nor has it announced any hostile policy against China. Although the state-run Global Times has 'warned' Seoul against standing closer to the U.S., the Chinese government itself seems to be refraining from making explicit comments," he said.

"Furthermore, the Chinese government believes that South Korea is a weak link among other allies of the U.S. If the Chinese government pushes the South Korean government too hard, then it is likely Korea would make a similar choice as Australia did, stepping even closer to the U.S. side."

The ROKS Shin Dol-seok arrives at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, June 20, to participate in the U.S.-led international Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) maritime exercise that kicked off on June 30. From RIMPAC official Twitter account

The ROKS Sejong The Great arrives at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, June 20, to participate in the U.S.-led international Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) maritime exercise that kicked off on June 30. From RIMPAC official Twitter account

The ROKS Munmu The Great arrives at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii, June 20, to participate in the U.S.-led international Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) maritime exercise that kicked off on June 30. From RIMPAC official Twitter account

The professor added that the Chinese government also does not want anti-China sentiment among South Koreans to grow even bigger, when a recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, a Washington, D.C.-based nonpartisan fact tank, showed that a historic high of 80 percent of South Koreans hold negative views of China.

"In particular, many young South Koreans are expressing anti-China sentiments citing China's intervention in South Korea's domestic affairs. The Chinese government is also aware that the public opinion in South Korea toward China could worsen further," he said.