The defense chiefs of South Korea and Japan agreed Sunday to expand bilateral defense cooperation in artificial intelligence, maritime operations and other security fields, according to a joint statement issued after their meeting in Seoul.
South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi issued a joint statement outlining areas of expanded cooperation, including artificial intelligence, maritime search and rescue, and exchanges between the two countries’ military aerobatic teams.
Koizumi arrived Saturday for a two-day visit — the first by a Japanese defense minister primarily for bilateral talks since 2015 and reciprocating Ahn’s visit to Tokyo in January. The two ministers agreed to regularize reciprocal visits and meetings, effectively restoring shuttle diplomacy between the countries’ defense authorities, the joint statement said.
The meeting came less than a month after Ahn and Koizumi met May 30 on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore.
The two ministers reaffirmed their commitment to establishing lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula and agreed that cooperation should continue to preserve regional peace and stability amid an increasingly difficult security environment, according to the joint statement. They also pledged to continue three-way coordination with the United States.
South Korea and Japan welcomed the resumption earlier this month of a bilateral maritime search and rescue exercise for the first time in about nine years, the statement said. The ministers agreed to further develop the exercise to prepare for a wider range of maritime emergencies. They also agreed to continue discussions among defense officials on cooperation involving AI and other advanced technologies.
The ministers agreed to expand exchanges between South Korea’s Black Eagles and Japan’s Blue Impulse aerobatic teams. South Korea’s Black Eagles received refueling support at the Japan Air Self-Defense Force’s Naha Air Base in Okinawa in January while traveling to a defense exhibition in Saudi Arabia — the first time the Japanese service had provided refueling support to a South Korean Air Force aircraft.
Koizumi visited the Black Eagles unit at Wonju Air Base in Gangwon Province on Saturday and met with team members. South Korea’s Defense Ministry said the cooperation does not mean that Japanese refueling support for South Korean military aircraft will become a regular arrangement.
A proposed acquisition and cross-servicing agreement — which would allow the two militaries to provide each other with logistical supplies and services including fuel, food and ammunition — was not formally included on Sunday’s agenda, according to officials. Japan has repeatedly expressed interest in concluding the agreement with South Korea. Officials said it was possible the issue was discussed informally despite its exclusion from the official agenda.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung has acknowledged the potential need for such an agreement but has said unresolved historical issues between South Korea and Japan limit Seoul’s ability to accept it. South Korea’s Foreign Ministry also has recognized the need to consider the agreement while emphasizing that public sentiment must be taken into account, officials said.
During his stay, Koizumi paid respects at Seoul National Cemetery and visited the Black Eagles unit. The meetings and exchanges were reported by Asia Today and translated by United Press International.