Enhancing Australia-Korea Cooperation in Contested Asia

Situated at opposite ends of the Indo-Pacific, Australia and the Republic of Korea are confronting shared challenges arising from intensifying strategic competition and regional uncertainty. Despite differing geographies and security pressures, both countries seek to promote regional stability and shape a multipolar Indo-Pacific order.As their bilateral relationship deepens under the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, this policy brief examines how Australia and Korea can move beyond defence-industrial cooperation to exercise meaningful middle-power agency. It identifies opportunities for collaboration in holistic security, highlights the delivery of regional public goods, and offers targeted recommendations to strengthen institutional cooperation and sustain long-term ambition in the Australia–Korea partnership.