Minister of National Defense An Gyu-baek held a meeting with Japan's Minister of Defense Gen Nakatani, who is visiting Korea to attend the '2025 Seoul Security Dialogue' on the 8th, and discussed ways to strengthen Korea-Japan security cooperation, including in the field of advanced science and technology. This is the first time since 2015 that a Japanese defense minister has visited Korea for talks in Seoul.
After the meeting held at the Ministry of National Defense's Yongsan headquarters, the Korean and Japanese defense ministers released a joint press statement that noted, "It is important to steadily advance Korea-Japan and Korea-U.S.-Japan cooperation amid the rapidly changing security environment."
The two ministers also shared the view that there is a need to develop the Korea-Japan defense cooperation relationship in a forward-looking manner, and they agreed to explore future-oriented and mutually beneficial collaboration, particularly in advanced science and technology fields such as artificial intelligence (AI), unmanned systems, and space.
This is the first time that cooperation in advanced science and technology has been included in the Korea-Japan defense ministers' meeting. If cooperation in advanced science and technology progresses, it is expected that Korea-Japan security cooperation, which has been limited to existing Korea-U.S.-Japan military exercises and human exchanges and the operation of consultative bodies, will be expanded.
The Korea and Japan defense ministers also referred to the agreement reached at the Korea-Japan summit held in Tokyo on the 23rd of last month to strengthen strategic communication, stating, "We have also agreed to enhance communication between our defense authorities."
To this end, the two ministers decided to further activate regular consultations and human exchanges between the Ministries of National Defense, including reciprocal visits and meetings of the respective defense ministers. The two ministers welcomed the participation of the Korean military band in the Japan Self-Defense Force music festival scheduled for November this year.
The ministers also agreed to maintain trilateral cooperation among Korea, the U.S., and Japan in response to North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, and to work together to address the deepening military cooperation between North Korea and Russia. Additionally, they reaffirmed their strong commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
During his visit to Korea, Japan's Minister of Defense Nakatani, who will depart on the 9th, will also visit the National Cemetery in Seoul and the Navy's 2nd Fleet. At the site of the 2nd Fleet, he is expected to commemorate the 46 fallen soldiers of the Cheonan, who perished due to North Korea's torpedo attack on March 26, 2010. There is a memorial for the 46 soldiers and the salvaged hull of the Cheonan.