AustCham Korea is glad to welcome the new Australian Defence Attaché, Captain Chris Smith, Royal Australian Navy (RAN), to Seoul.

The Chamber looks forward to continuing to support various Defence initiatives, including the annual Gapyeong Scholarship program, ANZAC Day memorials and Korean War commemorations. If you are interested in sponsoring a Gapyeong Scholarship for local Middle and High School students, or would like more information about the initiative, please reach out to us at info@austchamkorea.org.

Captain Chris Smith joined the Royal Australian Navy in 1989, graduating from the Australian Defence Force Academy with a Bachelor of Science majoring in Oceanography and Mathematics. On completion of seaman officer training he served as an Officer of the Watch on the bridges of several warships before commencing flying training. On receiving his Aviation Warfare Officer wings in 1996 he again served on a number of Australian warships this time as part of an embarked Seahawk helicopter flight.

Captain Smith served with the Royal Navy on exchange for four years on Lynx maritime attack helicopters before returning to Australia to instruct aircrew on helicopter operations. He served as the Australian Assistant Defence Attaché in Seoul from 2009-2012 and the Defence Attaché in Bangkok from 2016-2019. He assumed duties as the Australian Defence Attaché in Seoul in January 2021.

Captain Smith’s operational experience includes active service in the Northern Arabian Gulf, Sierra Leone and Iraq.

Captain Smith is the first Australian graduate of the Thai National Defence College and has a Master of Arts in Strategy and Policy, a Master of Management Studies in Leadership, and a Master of Business, all through the University of New South Wales. He is currently a PhD candidate with Deakin University in Melbourne.

He married Marika whilst serving with the Royal Navy in the United Kingdom, and has two daughters, Isabella (23) and Teah (16), and a son, Roman (14). Isabella is an Air Force Officer, graduating from the Australian Defence Force Academy in December 2018. Previously a keen rugby player, he hung up his boots in 2002 but has enthusiastically embraced the spectating role.