Japan and South Korea are resuming joint naval exercises
Next month, Japan and South Korea will resume joint maritime search-and-rescue exercises for the first time in about nine years. This decision reflects the gradual improvement in relations between the two countries following a prolonged period of diplomatic and defense tensions.
Kyodo reported this.
South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Kyu-bak said Saturday at the start of talks with his Japanese counterpart, Shinjiro Koizumi, in Singapore that the humanitarian exercises involving the South Korean Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force will take place on June 7.
“It is important for Japan and South Korea to play a proactive role in promoting peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly by strengthening deterrence through the U.S.-Japan and U.S.-South Korea alliances, as well as through other forms of strategic coordination,” Koizumi said.
It is noted that these Japan-South Korea exercises have not been held since 2017.
The Japanese minister also held bilateral talks with U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hagset on the sidelines of the IISS Shangri-La Dialogue international security forum in Singapore.
It is noted that Koizumi and Hegset agreed to accelerate cooperation on the joint development and production of advanced missiles, emphasizing the allies’ efforts to strengthen deterrence amid growing security challenges in the Indo-Pacific region, including issues related to China.
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