Strategic complementarity and hedging: middle-power defense cooperation between South Korea and the UAE

This study explores the evolving defense partnership between South Korea and the United Arab Emirates through the analytical frames of middle-power behavior and strategic hedging. Despite differences in regional context and historical experience, both states have expanded bilateral cooperation as part of broader efforts to diversify strategic partnerships and enhance autonomy amid escalating geopolitical competition. The analysis demonstrates that the Korea–UAE relationship has progressively moved beyond traditional energy ties into high-technology defense and security domains. Employing a hybrid realist framework, the study argues that defense diplomacy and defense industrial collaboration function as key instruments through which both countries operationalize hedging by widening external linkages while preserving strategic flexibility. The findings suggest that the Korea–UAE partnership represents an emerging pattern of pragmatic middle-power cooperation driven primarily by converging strategic interests, complementary industrial capabilities, and shared incentives to mitigate external vulnerabilities. The study thereby contributes to understanding how middle powers utilize defense cooperation to manage systemic uncertainty and expand room for maneuver in an increasingly competitive international environment.