In a weeklong military exchange, the US Coast Guard trained the Korean Coast Guard through a full-scale search-and-rescue simulation. The visit also included several dialogues between subject matter experts, gift exchanges, and collegial sporting events.
From October 7-11, 2024, the US Coast Guard hosted the Korean Coast Guard in Santa Rita, Guam, a US territory. US Capt. Jessica Worst welcomed KCG 3011 Badaro, a Korea Coast Guard (KCG) training ship, on October 7th. In a sign of mutual hospitality, Capt. Worst presented Senior Superintendent Ha Tae Young with a commemorative statue of Guam while Senior Superintendent Ha Tae Young gifted the US Coast Guard a celadon vase.
A Week of Work and Play
After exchanging pleasantries, the participants shifted their focus to exchanges between subject matter experts (SME). First, the US Senior Chief Jeremy Jarvis provided a briefing on the missions of US Coast Guard Station Apra Harbor. On the following day, KCG 3011 Badaro crew members received a briefing on maritime law enforcement. Senior commissioned officers and non-commissioned officers alike participated in the SME exchange. For instance, US Petty Officer 1st Class Nathan Malinski gave a briefing on search-and-rescue coordination to his Korean counterparts.
Both countries held a joint search-and-rescue exercise on October 9. During this exercise, the crews simulated a man overboard scenario while officials reviewed the operation from a dedicated platform. Because of the seamless coordination between the crews, Capt. Worst commented that the US and Korea “sharpened [their] operational skills” during the weeklong visit.
Aside from military training and exercises, members of both Coast Guards participated in cultural “sports day” filled with events, such as a friendly basketball match and a tug-of-war game. At the closing ceremony for the visit, Senior Superintendent Ha Tae Young remarked that both countries were “now emotionally connected” and that everyone looked “forward to continuing this relationship.” The visit was recognized as a success in building not only military capacity but also comraderies between both countries.
Prior Military Cooperation
This visit was significant because it was the KCG 3011 Badaro crew’s second-ever visit to Guam. Yet, this was not merely coincidental. The visit was a direct effort to uphold the recent trilateral letter of intent signed by representatives from the US Coast Guard, Japan Coast Guard, and the Korea Coast Guard. The agreement seeks to establish trilateral cooperation on capacity-building efforts with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and Pacific Island countries with regards to maritime conservation, search-and-rescue responses, and combatting illegal fishing.
However, other branches of the ROK armed forces have also recently engaged with the US in the maritime domain. On January 24th, 2024, the Quad, a security partnership between Japan, India, the US, and Australia, invited South Korea to join their annual anti-submarine warfare exercise in Guam. The so-called “Sea Dragon” was a two-week exercise led by the US Navy and the four Quad partner countries.
Strategic Significance
On the Korean side, this visit improves the capabilities of the Korean Coast Guard, which oversees maritime safety and law enforcement. These improvements may become more important as tensions between North Korea and South Korea continue to rise. The Korean Coast Guard has already stopped ships allegedly defying UN sanctions on North Korea and saved four suspected defectors, so additional training will improve the efficiency and safety of future operations.
On the American side, the exercise signals South Korea's willingness to engage in Micronesia, a key region in Indo-Pacific military operations. The US has already increased its involvement in this region by launching the new Joint Task Force Micronesia. Moreover, several US members of Congress have shared their desire to counter Chinese influence in the Pacific Islands and their continued interest in the region through various official visits and statements. In the end, this weeklong visit has helped both countries share military knowledge and get closer to achieving their strategic goals.
Daniel Salgado-Alvarez is a Fall 2024 Young Professional at the East-West Center. He is a recent graduate from Harvard University, where he studied sociology and East Asian studies.