Institutionalizing Middle-Power Security Cooperation: Strategic Convergence Between South Korea and Canada in the Indo-Pacific

This paper examines the strategic convergence between South Korea and Canada in the Indo-Pacific, proposing a multidimensional framework for institutionalizing bilateral security cooperation between two geographically distant middle powers. It hypothesizes that functionally driven cooperation can be institutionalized in the absence of formal alliances or geographic proximity, when grounded in norm entrepreneurship, strategic complementarity, and shared middle-power identity. Guided by a synthesized realist–constructivist framework, the study draws on process tracing and discourse analysis of official documents from 2022 to 2024. It identifies four pillars of convergence: maritime security and Indo-Pacific strategy alignment; multilateral interoperability; cooperation in emerging domains such as cyber, space, and cognitive security; and defense industrial collaboration, including submarine and MRO programs. The findings support the hypothesis, showing how the two countries leverage institutional creativity and normative alignment to develop scalable, forward-looking cooperation. The article concludes by addressing risks such as geopolitical backlash, legal-institutional barriers, and domestic volatility, and offers phased implementation strategies. It argues that Korea–Canada security cooperation offers a replicable model for norm-driven middle-power alignment in a shifting Indo-Pacific order.