German frigate visits Incheon on Indo-Pacific mission

The German frigate Baden-Wurttemberg and replenishment ship Frankfurt am Main arrived in Incheon on Friday as part of the Indo-Pacific Deployment 2024, a key German maritime defense diplomacy initiative in the region.

Before reaching Incheon, the ships played a role in monitoring the United Nations arms embargo against North Korea, said the German Embassy in a press release Friday. The ships leave Incheon on Tuesday, it added.

According to the embassy, the deployment aligns with the mission of the 2021 visit by the German frigate Bayern to Busan, reaffirming the European country's commitment to ensuring free and secure shipping routes, upholding a rules-based international order, and enhancing cooperation for maritime security.

South Korea is a vital partner for Germany in the Indo-Pacific, with strong collaboration in politics, business, science and, increasingly, security policy, the embassy said in the statement.

South Korea's Indo-Pacific Strategy also views European countries, including Germany, as key partners for stronger cooperation based on shared values to reinforce the rules-based order and explore new opportunities in the region.

According to the release, Germany's deepening involvement in the region began with the 2020 announcement of its "Guidelines for the Indo-Pacific," which outlined the country's intention to strengthen ties with strategic partners in the region.

Germany's National Security Strategy sees North Korea's expanding nuclear and missile program as a threat to regional security. Similarly, South Korea also sees North Korea's growing nuclear and missile capabilities as a threat to neighboring countries in its National Security Strategy.

In August 2024, Germany became a full member of the United Nations Command, which oversees the armistice on the Korean Peninsula and underscores Germany's commitment to peace and security in the region, read the release.