Military Power for a Unified Korea: Strategic Directions and Principles for Building Effective Defense Forces

What type of military power should Korea build after unification? A unified Korea should prioritize developing defensive power, with emphasis on asymmetric, coalition, and joint warfare. Focusing on defensive capabilities is necessary for maintaining international support. Employing cost-effective, counteracting forces will be key to asymmetrically neutralizing potential opponents’ power advantage. Further, force construction should prioritize military resources difficult to borrow through the alliance with the United States. The integration of the army, navy, and air force will provide an advantage in joint operations against stronger enemies. Korea should follow three principles in building such military power: first, assign top priority to strengthening land power suited for mobile defense against continental states, with sea power as the second priority to protect coastlines and maritime transportation; second, prioritize investment in a multipurpose tactical air force capable of defending airspace and supporting ground and naval battles to maximize efficiency; and, third, enhance mental power by fostering a smart workforce to offset material disadvantages.