The Mission of Former President Sim Seung-seop Appointed as Ambassador to Australia

Australia Sequentially Adopts Domestic Weapons Including K9 Self-Propelled Howitzers
Competing with Japan Ahead of Project to Acquire 11 Escort Ships

Former Navy Chief of Staff Shim Seung-seop, appointed as the Ambassador to Australia, is a graduate of the 39th class of the Korea Naval Academy. He served as the Commander of the Navy's 7th Mobile Task Force, Commander of the 1st Fleet, and Director of Strategic Planning at the Joint Chiefs of Staff. During the Moon Jae-in administration from 2018 to 2020, he served as the Chief of Naval Operations. He later joined the campaign of Yoon Seok-yeol, the People Power Party candidate, in the last presidential election.

With Shim’s appointment, another military figure follows former Minister Lee in serving as Ambassador to Australia. This is interpreted as viewing Australia as a key defense cooperation partner for Korea and selecting a military official rather than a career diplomat. Recently, Australia has signed large-scale defense contracts with Korea, importing domestically produced weapons such as the K9 self-propelled howitzer and the Redback armored vehicle.

In particular, Shim’s naval background is seen as significant given that Korea is currently competing with Japan and others for the contract on Australia’s multi-purpose frigate project. Australia is pushing forward a project to acquire eleven 3,000-ton frigates worth about 10 trillion won. The Australian Navy plans to have three ships, including the lead ship, built by the winning country’s shipbuilders, while the remaining eight will be constructed locally in Australia with technical support.

The leading competitor is Japan’s Mitsubishi with its Mogami-class frigate. Korean defense companies are promoting the Ulsan-class Batch-III frigate, known as the “Chungnam” class, as a strong contender. However, since HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean, which built these ships, are both competing for the contract, the Australian government is reportedly requesting the Korean government to unify the bidding companies. Upon assuming his post as ambassador, Shim is expected to face the critical task of mediating between these domestic shipyards to secure the export deal.

Earlier in March, former Minister Lee, an army veteran, was appointed as Ambassador to Australia. However, amid controversies over his suitability, including being a key suspect in allegations of interference in the investigation of a Marine’s death and being subject to a travel ban by the Corruption Investigation Office for High-ranking Officials, he stepped down just 25 days after his appointment.