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Speaker

Rory Medcalf

Rory Medcalf

Head, National Security College

Australian National University

Moderator

Clint Work

Clint Work

Fellow and Director of Academic Affairs

Korea Economic Institute of America

Event Details

August 30, 2023 5:00 PM – 6:00 PM ET
YouTube
Indo-Pacific

Please join KEI for a discussion on South Korea’s Indo-Pacific Strategy and Middle Power Convergence with Australia. Over the past decade, the concept of the “Indo-Pacific” has replaced the late 20th century “Asia-Pacific” as a central frame of reference for strategy and external policy. Although the Indo-Pacific is often associated particularly with Japan and its influential prime minister the late Abe Shinzo, in fact, Australia was the first country to formally recognize the Indo-Pacific as its regional security environment. As a fellow middle power and independent-minded U.S. ally, with its own geopolitical complexities to navigate, Australia provides an illuminating example for South Korea as it operationalizes its Indo-Pacific strategy. Given the prominence of the Indo-Pacific concept and the fact that each country’s Indo-Pacific strategy is a function of their own unique geopolitical perspective, KEI is featuring Prof. Rory Medcalf’s work to help shed greater light on the concept and provide a unique perspective from within the region.