Changing security dynamics on the Korean Peninsula are prompting the Republic of Korea (ROK) to reexamine its defense
strategy and adjust its military capabilities and investment priorities. North Korea’s growing missile arsenal and asymmetric
defense strategy, along with China’s rapid military modernization, present unique challenges to South Korean and American
efforts to maintain stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the broader region. To identify how the ROK can best align its
defense strategy and capabilities, and to clarify the alliance division of labor between the ROK and the United States, the
Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments (CSBA) hosted a virtual roundtable discussion and decision-making exercise.
The event, held on March 18-19, 2021, convened U.S. and South Korean defense analysts to debate the scenarios and
objectives that should most influence Seoul’s defense planning, capability and capacity requirements, and investment
decisions over the next decade.
South Korean Defense Strategy and Defense Reform 2.0
South Korea has formulated new defense plans to address evolving threats from North Korea. Specifically, Pyongyang’s
continued investment in cruise and ballistic missile capabilities has prompted Seoul to establish a three-tier defense initiative
consisting of “Strategic Target Strike,” “Korea-style Missile Defense,” and “Overwhelming Response.” Strategic Target Strike
seeks to employ long-range precision fires to neutralize North Korean missiles before they are launched. Korea-style Missile
Defense relies on a layered network of interceptors, sensors, and short-range air defenses (SHORAD) to detect and destroy
North Korean missiles before they reach their targets. Overwhelming Response aims to harness precision fires to execute
decapitation strikes against the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) leadership once ROK defenses successfully
blunt a North Korean attack.
Seoul has also adopted a force modernization program, known as Defense Reform 2.0, which is intended to complement its
defense strategy by limiting South Korea’s dependence on foreign defense imports, improving its defense-industrial base, and
creating a more robust force that better incorporates emerging technologies. The program prioritizes the acquisition of
technologically advanced systems built by Korean companies, including ground-based missile defenses, fighter aircraft, and a
light aircraft carrier. Defense Reform 2.0 also aims to increase the well-being of military personnel and to develop capabilities
to address non-traditional threats, from cyberwarfare to chemical and biological weapons.
Aligning South Korea’s Defense
Strategy and Capabilities
September 2021 l Josh Chang, Regan Copple, Madison Creery, Jack Bianchi, and
Evan Braden Montgomery
