In December of 2022, South Korea unveiled its Indo-Pacific strategy, declaring its intention to fulfill the responsibilities and play a pivotal role in the establishment of a rule-based Indo-Pacific regional order. This study aims to examine the meaning of “rule-based order” as mentioned in various strategic documents and government statements, and explore the conceptual debates surrounding it. Furthermore, this research identifies “mutually exclusive order competition, state-centered interpretation and application of the rule, and selective compliance with international law” as the factors that undermine the rule-based order. Finally, based on these findings, this paper discusses the challenges that South Korea faces in implementing its Indo-Pacific strategy, and suggests a direction for the security sector to help establish a regional, rule-based order.