Japan, S.Korea defense ministers agree to further cooperation and exchanges
Japanese Defense Minister Koizumi Shinjiro held talks with South Korean Minister of National Defense Ahn Gyu-back in Seoul on Sunday
They agreed to continue cooperation between Japan and South Korea, as well as among Japan, the United States and South Korea, toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula
The ministers also agreed they would maintain communication to further develop stable, future-oriented defense cooperation and exchanges
Koizumi, who is visiting South Korea for the first time since he took office, met Ahn on Sunday morning for about one hour. The talks were held as part of mutual ministerial exchanges between the two countries
Both ministers highly praised the resumption of a joint search and rescue drill for humanitarian purposes. The exercise involving Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force and the South Korean Navy took place this month for the first time in about nine years
North Korea is continuing its nuclear and missile development and deepening military cooperation with Russia. The ministers reaffirmed their commitment to continued bilateral and trilateral cooperation with the US, to make the Korean Peninsula completely nuclear-free and establish lasting peace
They also confirmed they would work to advance cooperation between the two countries’ acrobatic flight teams, and exchange views on collaboration in advanced science and technology, including AI
