South Korea, Japan seek deeper cooperation as defense chiefs meet in Seoul

By Lee Hugh Posted : June 28, 2026, 12:03 Updated : June 28, 2026, 13:31
Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back (left) and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi attend an event at the Ministry of National Defense building in Yongsan, Seoul on June 28, 2026, before holing talks. Yonhap
SEOUL, June 28 (AJP) - South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back held talks with his Japanese counterpart Shinjiro Koizumi in Seoul on Sunday.

Their talks came amid efforts to improve ties between the two neighboring countries and strengthen cooperation across defense and other sectors.

Koizumi's visit also follows Ahn's trip to Tokyo in January this year, after the two met multiple times in recent months on the sidelines of international gatherings and other occasions.

Koizumi, who arrived in Seoul the previous day, toured an air base in Wonju, Gangwon Province, together with Ahn, before the two sat down for talks.

In a joint statement issued after their talks, the two sides said they agreed to expand cooperation, including military logistics support under an Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA), maritime security coordination, and possible future cooperation involving Japan's Air Self-Defense Force and South Korea's Black Eagles aerobatic team.

"We agreed to continue exchanges and cooperation between the two countries' aerobatic teams — South Korea's Black Eagles and Japan's Blue Impulse — while also strengthening cooperation in responding to various maritime contingencies and in advanced science and technology fields, including artificial intelligence (AI)," the statement said.
 
Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi (center) takes a ride in a Black Eagles aircraft at an air base in Wonju, Gangwon Province on June 27, 2026. Yonhap
South Korea and Japan recently resumed joint maritime search and rescue exercises after a nine-year hiatus, widely seen as a step toward mending ties strained by historical disputes.

Koizumi is scheduled to attend a youth forum and meet Foreign Minister Cho Hyun later in the day before wrapping up his two-day visit.

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