Japan and South Korea agreed to resume joint naval search-and-rescue exercises, nearly a decade after halting the training due to diplomatic tensions.
Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back met Friday at the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force base in Yokosuka and issued a joint statement reaffirming their commitment to improving defense cooperation.
The two ministers agreed to restart a bilateral humanitarian search-and-rescue exercise that last took place in 2017. The drills, held 10 times between 1999 and 2017, were paused following incidents including a 2018 dispute over radar targeting claims.
At that time, Japan’s Ministry of Defense alleged that a South Korean navy destroyer directed its fire-control radar at a Japanese patrol aircraft, calling it a dangerous incident. South Korea responded that its vessel was conducting a search-and-rescue operation and accused the aircraft of flying at a dangerously low altitude.
Koizumi and Ahn said their renewed cooperation reflects shared security concerns, particularly the threat posed by North Korean missile capabilities.
They also agreed to hold annual reciprocal ministerial meetings and expand bilateral defense exchanges, including technology cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, unmanned systems, and space.
As part of the day’s events, the two ministers played a friendly game of ping-pong. Koizumi said they agreed to maintain momentum through regular visits and meetings. Ahn invited his counterpart to South Korea to continue dialogue, according to a South Korean Ministry of National Defense spokesperson.
The ministers also reaffirmed their commitment to regional peace and stability and to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, the joint statement said.
