Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne is answering questions from Korean female journalists at the Australian Embassy in Seoul on the afternoon of the 30th. Provided by the Australian Embassy,
, ‘The exchange and cooperation between South Korea and Australia have been growing closer. The two countries held the two-plus-two ministerial meeting in May and during the NATO summit in July, Korea, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand, met separately as the ‘Indo-Pacific Partners’ (IP4). Australia has also been actively engaging in military cooperation, such as selecting South Korea’s Redback armored vehicle as its next-generation infantry fighting vehicle in December last year.’,
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, ‘Marise Payne, the Australian Foreign Minister, who visited Korea from the 29th to the 31st, met with Korean female journalists at the Australian Embassy in Seoul on the 30th in the afternoon. Requesting a special meeting with female journalists, Minister Payne emphasized, “Korea and Australia are countries sharing many common positions and can cooperate together on challenges.” Making her first visit to Korea since assuming office as Foreign Minister, Payne also visited the Panmunjom in the morning to see the escalating tensions with North Korea firsthand. During the ministerial talks, it was agreed to establish a new Korea-Australia Economic Security Dialogue to enhance cooperation in energy, critical minerals supply chains, and other areas.’,
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, ‘A recent major issue between Korea and Australia is the potential participation of Korea in the AUKUS (Australia-United Kingdom-US) trilateral security partnership. Under AUKUS, Australia, the US, and the UK agreed to cooperatively develop advanced military technologies in eight areas such as quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and hypersonic missiles. Korea also expressed interest in joining AUKUS Filler 2 but Minister Payne stated that discussions and considerations on the direction of Filler 2 among existing AUKUS members need to be prioritized before Korea’s participation can be finalized. She emphasized that Australia is currently focusing on AUKUS Filler 1 as a very significant project and that defense, economic, climate, and energy cooperation between Korea and Australia extends beyond just AUKUS Filler 2.’,
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, ‘Regarding the discussions to formalize meetings between IP4 leaders, including Korea and Australia, and the condemning of military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, Minister Payne stated that amidst significant global changes, it is crucial for countries that share values and understanding that no single country should dominate the region based on sovereignty and norms to cooperate. She emphasized the importance of forming groups of countries that share understanding through various formats like IP4 and Quad (US, Japan, India, Australia), and stressed that the joint statement issued by IP4 on criticizing North Korea and Russia’s military cooperation was a very important example of middle powers raising a common voice against destabilizing actors.’,
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, ‘After experiencing major tensions with China over the past few years, Australia has improved its relationship with China since the Labor Party came into power, with Minister Payne playing an important role in this process. When asked about the principles that Australia follows in diplomacy with China, Minister Payne replied that Australia consistently tells its citizens that in its relations with China, it will cooperate in areas where cooperation is possible, express disagreements where necessary, and engage with China based on national interests. She also mentioned that Australia and Korea share the belief that issues like the South China Sea disputes should be resolved in accordance with UNCLOS (United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea). Minister Payne highlighted the shared positions between Korea and Australia as countries that share many similarities, emphasizing the importance of rules-based orders and predictable norms as middle-power countries that respect territorial agreements.’,
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, ‘In response to questions about North Korea’s close ties with Russia and the tensions on the Korean Peninsula, Minister Payne stated that Australia is coordinating with the G7 countries to impose sanctions on illegal weapons trades by Russia and North Korea. She expressed support for Korea’s efforts to monitor North Korea’s activities despite the difficulties caused by Russia’s veto in the UN Security Council. Minister Payne emphasized the importance of peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula for the entire region and expressed her support for Korea’s efforts in this regard.’,
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, ‘When asked about the impact of the US election results on allies like Australia, Minister Payne diplomatically stated that it is difficult to make speculative comments based on personal assumptions and expectations but expressed confidence that the alliance between Australia and the US will continue to grow regardless of which party is in power in the US. She also highlighted the importance of gender equality in Australia, stating that societies and communities can develop better when they fully utilize all talents and build inclusive, fair, and equal societies. Minister Payne acknowledged that Australia’s gender equality situation is not perfect and still has a long way to go, but mentioned efforts made to reduce the gender pay gap and increase female representation in parliament. Growing up as a political figure representing Australia by serving as Climate Change Minister and Finance Minister after immigrating from Malaysia at the age of 8, Minister Payne shared a personal story, stating that her conservative Chinese-Malaysian father believed in the equal opportunities for women as she does.’,
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, ‘She concluded the interview by stating, “The work that you are doing as women is very important.”‘,
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