NATO and South Korea's Strategic Partnership = 북대서양조약기구와 대한민국의 전략적 동반자 관계

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This thesis examines the evolution of cooperation between NATO and South Korea and categorizes it into two phases: reactive alignment and autonomous strategic convergence. In the initial phase, South Korea’s participation in international security missions involving NATO, such as the war in Afghanistan and anti-piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden, was primarily driven by its bilateral alliance with the United States rather than by a clear strategic plan or bilateral initiative with NATO. Cooperation between NATO and South Korea during this period emerged through parallel participation in U.S.-led initiatives rather than through direct bilateral planning, resulting in functional but limited engagement. Following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022 and the increasing coordination among authoritarian states, NATO and South Korea have expanded and deepened their cooperation, which has become increasingly institutionalized. Mechanisms such as the Individually Tailored Partnership Programme and collaboration in emerging security domains reflect a shift toward a more reciprocal and strategically grounded partnership. Drawing on Balance of Threat Theory, this thesis argues that the key driver of this transformation lies in the convergence of threat perceptions. This convergence has strengthened the strategic rationale for deeper cooperation and has contributed to closer linkages between the security architectures of Europe and the Indo-Pacific.

국문 초록 (Abstract)

본 논문은 북대서양조약기구(NATO)와 대한민국 간 협력 관계의 발전 과정을 분석하고, 이를 ‘대응형 일치(reactive alignment)’와 ‘자주성 전략적 통합(autonomous strategic convergence)’이라는 두 단계로 구분하여 설명한다. 초기 단계에서 한국의 아프가니스탄 전쟁 및 아덴만 반해적 작전 참여는 NATO와의 전략적 구상이나 협의에 따른 것이 아니라, 미국과의 동맹에 기반한 간접적 참여였다. NATO–한국 간 협력은 미국이 주도한 다자 안보 활동에 개별적으로 참여하는 방식으로 이루어졌으며, 양측 간의 직접적인 계획 수립이나 제도화된 협력 구조는 구축되지 않은 상태였다. 이로 인해 협력은 기능적으로는 존재했지만, 실질적인 상호작용은 제한적이었다. 그러나 2022년 러시아의 우크라이나 침공과 권위주의 국가들 간 연대 강화는 NATO와 한국 간 협력을 점차 확대되고 제도화되는 방향으로 이끌었다. ‘개별 맞춤형 파트너십 프로그램(Individually Tailored Partnership Programme)’ 및 신흥 안보 영역에서의 협력은 양자 관계가 보다 상호적이고 전략적으로 심화되고 있음을 보여준다. 본 논문은 위협 균형 이론(Balance of Threat Theory)을 바탕으로, 이러한 협력의 전환을 가능하게 한 핵심 요인이 위협 인식의 수렴에 있음을 주장한다. 위협 인식의 수렴은 양측 간 전략적 협력의 논리를 강화하였으며, 유럽과 인도·태평양 지역 간 안보 체계의 연계성을 심화시키는 데 기여하였다.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• Abstract i
• List of Figures v
• List of Tables v
• List of Abbreviations vi
• I. Introduction 1
• 1. Study Background 1
• 2. Research Questions and Purpose 3
• 3. Theoretical Foundations and Framework for Analysis 5
• 4. Chapter Overview 7
• 5. Existing Scholarship and Debates 10
• II. Conceptual and Theoretical Framework 17
• 1. Strategic Partnership vs. Alliance: Definitional Distinctions 17
• 2. Balance of Threat Theory and Threat Perception 22
• 3. From Theory to Interpretation: Reactive Alignment and Autonomous Strategic Convergence 30
• 4. Conceptual Framework: Mapping Cooperation through Threat Perception 37
• III. The Origins of NATO-South Korea Engagement: Reactive Alignment in a U.S.-Led Order 42
• 1. NATO’s Strategic Evolution after the Cold War and 9/11: A U.S.Led Trajectory 43
• 2. NATO’s Out-of-Area Missions and South Korea's Early Contributions 53
• 3. Maritime Security and Anti-Piracy Operations 62
• IV. Toward Autonomous Strategic Convergence: NATO-South Korea Responses After Ukraine 68
• 1. From Dialogue to Structure: The Institutionalization of NATO-South Korea Ties 70
• 2. Reframing Threat Perceptions: Applying Balance of Threat Theory 76
• 3. Strategic Spillover: The Broader Security Implications of the Ukraine War 84
• 4. From Reactive Alignment to Autonomous Strategic Convergence 93
• V. Conclusion and Future Outlook 96
• 1. Summary of Key Findings and Core Arguments 96
• 2. Limitations of the Study 102
• 3. Implications and Suggestions for Future Research 103
• References 110
• Abstract (in Korean) 124