James McGrath (Queensland, Liberal National Party, Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

Australia is committed to the long-term peace and stability in our region. We work closely with our partners and allies to achieve this. Australia supports the sovereign right of South Korea to conduct military exercises inside the terms of the 1953 armistice agreement and to defend itself from aggression. Since the mid-1970s, the annual exercise Ulchi-Freedom Guardian has been focused on the defence of South Korea.

Australia is an active member of United Nations Command, which coordinates multinational forces in South Korea and has participated annually in Ulchi-Freedom Guardian since 2010. This year, 25 Australians will participate in this year's command post exercise, a desktop-based exercise featuring computer simulation. Australia will continue to work closely with our friends and allies for peace.