Toward a global perspective: NATO's growing engagement with Japan and South Korea
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Toward a global perspective: NATO’s growing
engagement with Japan and South Korea
May 2013
Miha Hribernik1
The recent visit to Japan and the Republic of Korea by NATO
Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen, which took place
between 11 and 16 April, could have been perceived as little more
than a courtesy call, were it not for two milestones reached during
the six day tour. Both were important not only as signs of NATO’s
growing cooperation with both Northeast Asian states, but also as
indicators of the Alliance’s increasing global ambitions. The first
milestone was largely symbolic, but nonetheless noteworthy:
Rasmussen’s visit to the ROK was the first ever by a NATO Secretary
General to the country. The second milestone was the signing of a
NATO-Japan Political Declaration during his stop in Tokyo. The
Alliance and the two countries are set to strengthen cooperation in
the fields of cyber security, counter-terrorism, maritime security and
nuclear non-proliferation over the coming years.
Even as NATO’s interest in East Asia grows, it should be seen against
the backdrop of the Alliance’s steadily increasing global engagement,
which can be traced back at least to the 2002 creation of the
International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan.
Consequently, these developments should be perceived as
evolutionary steps rather than a revolutionary leap. Even so, it is
unlikely that NATO will establish a permanent military presence in
East Asia – despite its growing global ambitions, the Alliance wishes
to “engage with nations in Asia” rather than to become actively
involved in the region as a military alliance.
EU-Asia at a Glance is a publication series about the current state of affairs in Asia and EU-Asia relations
This paper expresses the view of the author and not the European Institute for Asian Studies
1
Miha Hribernik is Research Coordinator at the European Institute for Asian Studies.
European Institute for Asian Studies, rue de la Loi 67, B-1040 Brussels, Belgium
www.eias.org, Tel. +32 (0) 230 81 22Introduction
The recent visit to Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) by NATO Secretary General
Anders Fogh Rasmussen, which took place between 11 and 16 April, could have been
perceived as little more than a courtesy call, were it not for two milestones reached
during the six day tour. Both were important not only as signs of NATO’s growing
cooperation with both Northeast Asian states, but also as indicators of the Alliance’s
increasing global ambitions. The first milestone was largely symbolic, but nonetheless
noteworthy: Rasmussen’s visit to the ROK was the first ever by a NATO Secretary
General to the country. The second milestone was the signing of a NATO-Japan Political
Declaration during his stop in Tokyo.
The first leg of the journey, between 11 and 13 April, took the Secretary General to
Seoul.2 During his three-day stay in South Korea, he met with President Park Guen-hye,
Minister of Foreign Affairs Yun Byung-se, Speaker of the National Assembly Kang Chang-
hee and Defence Minister Kim Kwan Jin. Rasmussen emphasized a mutual interest in
greater cooperation in areas such as maritime piracy, non-proliferation of nuclear
weapons, and cyber security. Rasmussen also condemned recent provocations by the
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK), which had declared itself in a state of war
with its southern neighbour and threatened an attack against the United States.
After South Korea, the Secretary General concluded his tour with a stop in Japan
between 13 and 16 April.3 In Tokyo he met with Prime Minister Shinzō Abe and Foreign
Minister Fumio Kishida. The meetings echoed some the sentiments expressed during the
preceding days: Both sides voiced their desire to strengthen cooperation, especially in
fields such as maritime and cyber security, as well as counter-terrorism. In addition, all
three officials strongly condemned recent North Korean provocations, including the
December 2012 missile launch and the nuclear test of February this year.
The main long-term significance of the Secretary General’s visit to Japan, however, lies
with the Joint Declaration signed by Rasmussen and Abe on 15 April.4 It represents not
only an important step in NATO-Japan relations, but may well signify a small, but
important milestone in NATO’s strengthening global ambitions. The Declaration
emphasises the importance of NATO-Japan cooperation to date, and outlines avenues for
future collaboration: continued engagement in Afghanistan after the withdrawal of the
NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in 2014, continued cooperation
in counter-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden, in the field of public diplomacy, in
science and technology, and the finalisation of an Individual Partnership and Cooperation
Programme (IPCP). The Declaration also paves the way for future dialogue and
cooperation regarding cyber defence, disaster relief, counter-terrorism, counter-piracy,
2
NATO. (2013a). First visit by a NATO Secretary General to Republic of Korea focuses on cooperation.
Retrieved 29 April 2013 from http://www.nato.int/cps/en/SID-27CCCC58-
C7882689/natolive/news_99519.htm; Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the ROK. (2013). NATO Secretary-General
Urges North Korea to Stop Provocation. Retrieved 29 April 2013 from
http://www.mofat.go.kr/webmodule/htsboard/template/read/engreadboard.jsp?boardid=302&typeID=12&table
Name=TYPE_ENGLISH&seqno=312111.
3
NATO. (2013d). Japan: NATO’s longest-standing partner in the Asia-Pacific. Retrieved 24 April 2014 from
http://www.nato.int/cps/en/SID-57920A18-1BABBF90/natolive/news_99788.htm; Ministry of Foreign Affairs of
Japan. (2013). Meeting Between Mr. Fumio Kishida, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan and Mr. Anders Fogh
Rasmussen, NATO Secretary General. Retrieved 28 April 2013 from
http://www.mofa.go.jp/press/release/press6e_000037.html
4
NATO. (2013b). Joint Political Declaration between Japan and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation.
Retrieved 29 April 2013 from http://www.nato.int/cps/en/SID-0552C2C0-
9D1E17A8/natolive/official_texts_99562.htm?selectedLocale=en.
European Institute for Asian Studies, rue de la Loi 67, B-1040 Brussels, Belgium
www.eias.org, Tel. +32 (0) 230 81 22and others. Finally, the document also appoints the Japanese ambassador to Belgium as
Japan’s permanent representative to NATO.
A growing partnership
Japan and South Korea are two of the eight NATO “Partners across the globe”, along with
Afghanistan, Australia, Iraq, Pakistan, Mongolia and New Zealand. Cooperation with
these geographically removed countries varies, but broadly speaking encompasses
various security issues of mutual interest, including maritime security, cyber security and
counter-terrorism. The partner countries also contribute to operations – such as ISAF in
Afghanistan – to varying degrees.
Ties between NATO and South Korea have been steadily growing since both sides
initiated political dialogue in 2005, and the Secretary General’s recent visit to the country
followed in the wake of the September 2012 signing of an IPCP between NATO and the
ROK. The goal of the IPCP is to enhance cooperation in countering terrorism and
multinational peace support operations.5
South Korea is also a long-standing contributor to ISAF, having initially dispatched a
contingent of medical personnel in 2002, followed by a unit of military engineers in 2003.
Between 2010 and 2013, the ROK also deployed a 470-person strong civilian-military
Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) in Parwan Province. South Korea remains invested
in the country through financial contributions: Seoul plans to devote some USD 500
million for the Afghan security forces and the country’s development between 2011 and
2014, and has contributed another USD 75 million between 2011 and 2012.6
Cooperation between NATO and Japan dates back to the year 1990, when a joint security
seminar paved the way for political dialogue. Tokyo has contributed to a wide range of
the alliance’s activities since then. During the 1990s, it became a major donor in the
Western Balkans, following the NATO intervention in the conflict in Former Yugoslavia.
Although Japan has not contributed any troops to ISAF, it has taken on a supporting role,
with its Maritime Self Defence Force (MSDF) providing refuelling capabilities for the US-
led operation between 2001 and 2009. Tokyo has also earmarked substantial funds for
the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police, for the construction of schools
and hospitals, and for the reintegration of former insurgents under the Afghanistan Peace
and Reintegration Programme. Most recently, the 2012 Tokyo Conference helped attract
foreign investment and donations to Afghanistan.7
When the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) assumed power in September 2009, it
recalled the MSDF ships from their refuelling mission and instead decided to extend
additional financial support to Afghanistan: Japan donated some USD 5 billion between
2009 and 2013 alone. During 2009, however, the MSDF began another assignment – this
time with broad political support within Japan – in which it continues to cooperate closely
with NATO: It was tasked with preventing and countering the growing number of pirate
5
NATO. (2012). NATO and the Republic of Korea sign new partnership programme. Retrieved 29 April 2013
from http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/news_90101.htm.
6
NATO. (2013b). NATO cooperation with the Republic of Korea. Retrieved 23 April 2013 from
http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/topics_50098.htm?selectedLocale=en.
7
NATO, Japan: NATO's longest-standing partner in the Asia-Pacific.
European Institute for Asian Studies, rue de la Loi 67, B-1040 Brussels, Belgium
www.eias.org, Tel. +32 (0) 230 81 22attacks in the Gulf of Aden. To this end, two MSDF destroyers and two P-3C patrol
aircraft presently operate out of a Japanese base in Djibouti.8
Toward a NATO with a global perspective
The above overview shows that despite being relatively recent in nature, cooperation
between NATO and both countries continues to tighten. However, even as NATO’s
interest in East Asia grows, it should be seen against the backdrop of the Alliance’s
steady adoption a more global outlook during the Post-Cold War period. The organisation
is certainly no longer a stranger to operating outside of its traditional transatlantic
geographical remit, at least since the creation of ISAF in 2002. In this respect, the
Secretary General’s 2013 visit to both countries – while significant – should be
understood in the context of this on-going process and seen as mainly evolutionary in
nature.
The 2010 Strategic Concept 9 and the 2011 Efficient and Flexible Partnership Policy10
provide the necessary framework for NATO’s increasing interest in cooperating with
partner countries around the globe. As most contemporary and emerging security threats
to the Alliance are not geographically restricted to the wider North Atlantic region, such
growing global engagement will only accelerate over the coming years. Some of these
security threats listed within both documents are international terrorism, the proliferation
of weapons of mass destruction, energy security, and maritime security. The fairly
extensive list leaves NATO sufficient room to tailor areas of cooperation within individual
partnerships as needed. In the case of Japan and South Korea, the topics discussed
during Rasmussen’s recent visit highlight some priority areas: cyber security, maritime
security, counter-terrorism, and nuclear non-proliferation.
Although mutual security concerns shape cooperation between NATO and both Northeast
Asian countries, all sides strongly emphasise the significance of cooperating with fellow
democracies. The NATO Secretary General underscored this during a speech at the Japan
National Press Club in Tokyo on 15 April, when he stated that NATO and Japan “share the
same commitment to freedom, democracy, the rule of law and human rights”. 11 Speaking
at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in February, Prime Minister
Abe expressed a similar sentiment.12 Although his speech predominantly focused on
cooperation with the United States, the prime minister emphasised the need for Japan to
work with other democracies in order to promote rules and guard the global commons –
something that is seen as crucial by NATO as well.13
8
Tuke, V. (2013). Japan’s Crucial Role in Afghanistan (Asia Pacific Bulletin, no. 206). Retrieved from
http://www.eastwestcenter.org/download/6192/34003/apb206.pdf; Ministry of Defence. (2013). Measures
Against Piracy. Retrieved 28 April 2013 from http://www.mod.go.jp/e/d_act/somalia/index.html.
9
NATO. (2010). Strategic Concept for the Defence and Security of the Members of the North Atlantic Treaty
Organization. Retrieved 28 April 2013 from http://www.nato.int/strategic-
concept/pdf/Strat_Concept_web_en.pdf.
10
NATO. (2011a). Active Engagement in Cooperative Security: A More Efficient and Flexible Partnership Policy.
Retrieved 29 April 2013 from http://www.nato.int/nato_static/assets/pdf/pdf_2011_04/20110415_110415-
Partnership-Policy.pdf.
11
Rasmussen, A.F. (2013). “NATO and Japan – natural partners”. Retrieved 29 April 2013 from
http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/opinions_99634.htm.
12
Abe, S. (2013). “Japan is Back”, Policy Speech by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the Center for Strategic and
International Studies (CSIS). Retrieved 28 April 2013 from
http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/96_abe/statement/201302/22speech_e.html.
13
NATO. (2011b). Assured Access to the Global Commons. Retrieved 29 April 2013 from
http://www.act.nato.int/images/stories/events/2010/gc/aagc_recommendations.pdf.
European Institute for Asian Studies, rue de la Loi 67, B-1040 Brussels, Belgium
www.eias.org, Tel. +32 (0) 230 81 22Finally, the Alliance’s tightening cooperation with Tokyo and Seoul and its on-going
evolution into a “NATO with a global perspective” 14 aside, it is unlikely it will ever
establish a permanent military presence in the Asia-Pacific. Membership in NATO remains
geographically restricted and as Rasmussen emphasised, NATO’s primary goal is to
“engage with nations in Asia” rather than to become actively involved in the region as a
military alliance.
Conclusion
As NATO’s increasing engagement with countries such as Japan and South Korea shows,
a gradual shift from an alliance purely focused on both sides of the Atlantic to one with a
decidedly global outlook, is undeniable. The 28-nation bloc is increasingly cooperating
with partners across the globe on issues of common concern. With its two Northeast
Asian partners, such future cooperation will likely focus on nuclear non-proliferation
(mainly due to the North Korean threat), maritime security (as pirate attacks continue to
threaten sea lines of communication in Southeast Asia), cyber security, and counter-
terrorism.
Despite some recently achieved milestones in NATO’s partnership with Tokyo and Seoul –
such as the first ever visit by a NATO Secretary General to the ROK and the signing of
the NATO-Japan Political Declaration – this progress should be seen in the context of
NATO’s increasing global engagement, which can be traced back at least to the creation
of ISAF in 2002. As a result, these developments should be perceived as evolutionary
steps, rather than a revolutionary leap.
14
Both quotes in this paragraph are taken from: Rasmussen, NATO and Japan – natural partners.
European Institute for Asian Studies, rue de la Loi 67, B-1040 Brussels, Belgium
www.eias.org, Tel. +32 (0) 230 81 22References
Abe, S. (2013). “Japan is Back”, Policy Speech by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at the
Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS). Retrieved 28 April 2013 from
http://www.kantei.go.jp/foreign/96_abe/statement/201302/22speech_e.html.
Ministry of Defence. (2013). Measures Against Piracy. Retrieved 28 April 2013 from
http://www.mod.go.jp/e/d_act/somalia/index.html.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. (2013). Meeting Between Mr. Fumio Kishida, Minister
for Foreign Affairs of Japan and Mr. Anders Fogh Rasmussen, NATO Secretary General.
Retrieved 28 April 2013 from http://www.mofa.go.jp/press/release/press6e_000037.html
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the ROK. (2013). NATO Secretary-General Urges North
Korea to Stop Provocation. Retrieved 29 April 2013 from
http://www.mofat.go.kr/webmodule/htsboard/template/read/engreadboard.jsp?boardid=
302&typeID=12&tableName=TYPE_ENGLISH&seqno=312111.
NATO. (2010). Strategic Concept for the Defence and Security of the Members of the
North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Retrieved 28 April 2013 from
http://www.nato.int/strategic-concept/pdf/Strat_Concept_web_en.pdf.
NATO. (2011a). Active Engagement in Cooperative Security: A More Efficient and Flexible
Partnership Policy. Retrieved 29 April 2013 from
http://www.nato.int/nato_static/assets/pdf/pdf_2011_04/20110415_110415-
Partnership-Policy.pdf.
NATO. (2011b). Assured Access to the Global Commons. Retrieved 29 April 2013 from
http://www.act.nato.int/images/stories/events/2010/gc/aagc_recommendations.pdf.
NATO. (2012). NATO and the Republic of Korea sign new partnership programme.
Retrieved 29 April 2013 from http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/news_90101.htm.
NATO. (2013a). First visit by a NATO Secretary General to Republic of Korea focuses on
cooperation. Retrieved 29 April 2013 from http://www.nato.int/cps/en/SID-27CCCC58-
C7882689/natolive/news_99519.htm.
NATO. (2013b). Joint Political Declaration between Japan and the North Atlantic Treaty
Organisation. Retrieved 29 April 2013 from http://www.nato.int/cps/en/SID-0552C2C0-
9D1E17A8/natolive/official_texts_99562.htm?selectedLocale=en.
NATO. (2013c). NATO cooperation with the Republic of Korea. Retrieved 23 April 2013
from http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/topics_50098.htm?selectedLocale=en.
NATO. (2013d). Japan: NATO’s longest-standing partner in the Asia-Pacific. Retrieved 24
April 2014 from http://www.nato.int/cps/en/SID-57920A18-
1BABBF90/natolive/news_99788.htm.
Rasmussen, A.F. (2013). “NATO and Japan – natural partners”. Retrieved 29 April 2013
from http://www.nato.int/cps/en/natolive/opinions_99634.htm.
Tuke, V. (2013). Japan’s Crucial Role in Afghanistan (Asia Pacific Bulletin, no. 206).
Retrieved from http://www.eastwestcenter.org/download/6192/34003/apb206.pdf.
European Institute for Asian Studies, rue de la Loi 67, B-1040 Brussels, Belgium
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