South Korea and Japan have agreed to enhance cooperation between their air forces through special flight team exchanges, develop search and rescue training (SAREX) between their navies, and discuss collaboration in advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI).
On June 28, Defense Minister An Gyu-baek and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi held a bilateral meeting at the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan, Seoul, where they reached this agreement.
This meeting marked the sixth between the two ministers and came about a month after their previous talks during the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 30.
In a joint statement, the ministers said, "The two ministers will continue to develop exchanges between the special flight teams of both countries (Black Eagles and Blue Impulse) and enhance search and rescue training to prepare for various maritime accident scenarios, while promoting discussions on advanced scientific and technological cooperation, including AI."
They also emphasized their commitment to strengthening communication and efforts to foster stable and forward-looking defense exchanges between South Korea and Japan through mutual understanding and trust.
The exchange of pilots between the two countries' special flight teams began on January 28, when the South Korean Black Eagles made their first stop at the Japan Air Self-Defense Force's Naha base in Okinawa for refueling. This initiative is seen as a step toward ongoing cooperation rather than a one-time event. However, the Ministry of National Defense clarified that a regular refueling arrangement for the Black Eagles at the Japanese base has not yet been established.
Earlier this month, the two nations also agreed to formalize and strengthen defense exchanges in the naval sector, following their first search and rescue training exercise in nine years.
The ministers shared a consensus on the need to continue cooperation to maintain peace and stability in the region amid a serious security environment, reaffirming their commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of lasting peace, while continuing trilateral cooperation between South Korea, Japan, and the United States. The issue of signing a mutual logistics support agreement (ACSA) was not included in the official agenda for this meeting.
Koizumi arrived in South Korea the previous day for a two-day visit as part of ongoing defense diplomacy following An's visit to Japan in January.
On the previous day, Koizumi paid his respects at the National Cemetery in Dongjak-gu, Seoul, and visited the Black Eagles unit at the Air Force base in Wonju with Minister An.
Later in the afternoon, the two ministers plan to visit the Korea Institute for Defense Analysis (KIDA) in Dongdaemun-gu, Seoul, where they will hold discussions with the younger generation from both countries and engage in a friendly table tennis match, similar to the friendly match they had during An's visit to Yokosuka City, Koizumi's constituency, in January.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.