Where Australia Fits in South Korea's Security Strategy

The US ‘hub and spoke’ bilateral alliance system is no longer fit for purpose and America, Australia and Japan are actively seeking to network security arrangements in the Indo-Pacific. A recognition of the advantage of networked security relationships can be seen in the growing number of these arrangements throughout the region: the Quad, AUKUS, the Japan–Australia Reciprocal Access Agreement, the Japan–India Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement, and India’s invitation to Australia to join the Malabar naval exercise are all excellent examples. But, while South Korea is one of the most important US treaty allies in Asia, its modest approach to expanding defence ties has left it noticeably absent from many of these arrangements.