Change:
export const descriptionForeground = registerColor('descriptionForeground', { light: '#717171', dark: transparent(foreground, 0.7), hcDark: transparent(foreground, 0.7), hcLight: transparent(foreground, 0.7) }, nls.localize('descriptionForeground', "Foreground color for description text providing additional information, for example for a label.")); export const iconForeground = registerColor('icon.foreground', { dark: '#C5C5C5', light: '#424242', hcDark: '#FFFFFF', hcLight: '#292929' }, nls.localize('iconForeground', "The default color for icons in the workbench.")); <del> export const focusBorder = registerColor('focusBorder', { dark: '#007FD4', light: '#0090F1', hcDark: '#F38518', hcLight: '#0F4A85' }, nls.localize('focusBorder', "Overall border color for focused elements. This color is only used if not overridden by a component.")); </del> <ins> export const focusBorder = registerColor('focusBorder', { dark: '#007FD4', light: '#0090F1', hcDark: '#F38518', hcLight: '#006BBD' }, nls.localize('focusBorder', "Overall border color for focused elements. This color is only used if not overridden by a component.")); </ins> export const contrastBorder = registerColor('contrastBorder', { light: null, dark: null, hcDark: '#6FC3DF', hcLight: '#0F4A85' }, nls.localize('contrastBorder', "An extra border around elements to separate them from others for greater contrast.")); export const activeContrastBorder = registerColor('contrastActiveBorder', { light: null, dark: null, hcDark: focusBorder, hcLight: focusBorder }, nls.localize('activeContrastBorder', "An extra border around active elements to separate them from others for greater contrast."));

Discussion:
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--- VS Code Version: / OS Version: Steps to Reproduce: editor to use the VS Code High Contrast default light theme the settings page a setting that uses a checkbox to focus on the checkbox (you should see no visible change when focused) Reference/Comparison Screenshots Default Dark Theme: <img width="276" alt="Screen Shot 2022-09-06 at 1 33 53 PM" src="https://user-"<img width="288" alt="Screen Shot 2022-09-06 at 1 33 58 PM" src="https://user-"Default Light Theme: <img width="275" alt="Screen Shot 2022-09-06 at 1 34 16 PM" src="https://user-"<img width="278" alt="Screen Shot 2022-09-06 at 1 34 22 PM" src="https://user-"Default HC Dark Theme: <img width="281" alt="Screen Shot 2022-09-06 at 1 33 29 PM" src="https://user-"<img width="278" alt="Screen Shot 2022-09-06 at 1 33 37 PM" src="https://user-"Default HC Light Theme (note lack of difference between non-focused/focused states): <img width="280" alt="Screen Shot 2022-09-06 at 1 34 51 PM" src="https://user-"<img width="274" alt="Screen Shot 2022-09-06 at 1 34 58 PM" src="https://user-"cc
Oh, looks like this issue seems to apply to dropdown and text field elements as well. I can file separate issues for each UI element if that's helpful/desired.
There's a difference now, but it's very slight, imo. I'm wondering if another colour like orange could be used instead for the focus border, like in the HC dark theme? !