TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — South Korea and Australia emphasized the importance of Taiwan Strait peace in a joint statement issued on Wednesday (May 1).

South Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yul and Minister of National Defense Shin Won-sik met with Australian Minister for Defence Richard Marles and Minister for Foreign Affairs Penny Wong for a 2+2 ministerial dialogue in Melbourne. The ministers said upholding peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait was “an indispensable element of security and prosperity in the region.”

They also raised concerns over increasing tensions in the South China Sea and called for stability and freedom of navigation in the South China Sea and East China Sea. Any dispute should be settled peacefully under international law, particularly the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, they said.

The meeting comes after Shin downplayed South Korea’s resolve to aid Taiwan in a cross-strait conflict last week. Speaking on a TV program on April 21, Shin said:

“If a crisis occurs in Taiwan, the South Korean military’s paramount concern is observing the possibility of North Korean provocations and working with USFK (United States Forces Korea) to establish a firm joint defense posture.” South Korea’s focus is on maintaining national security as part of “upholding global security,” he added.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol has also been reluctant to intervene in a potential Taiwan Strait conflict. After the trilateral summit between the U.S., South Korea, and Japan in August 2023, Yoon pledged to "support the maritime security of countries in the Indo-Pacific region.

However, he did not name a specific country, per Nikkei Asia. Yoon’s office also clarified that the post-summit joint statement did not commit South Korea to any military obligations.