South Korean Army soldiers are seen atop armoured vehicles during a drill at the boder town of Paju on May 29, 2009. North Korea warned on May 27 of possible military action after South Korea announced it is joining the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), a US-led campaign to stop the trade in weapons of mass destruction. Picture: AFPSouth Korea’s Secret War -- David Axe
It may want to keep it quiet, but South Korea is developing a modern, more assertive military, says David Axe.
More than half a century since the end of the Korean War and the beginning of a long period of relative military isolation, South Korea is gradually, and quietly, playing a larger role in world security.
Despite strong US support, South Korea’s rise as a military power is complicated by domestic politics, and by a belligerent North Korea. To avoid provoking foreign and domestic opposition, Seoul has cleverly disguised its newest overseas military operation as a strictly peaceful affair.
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