South Korea, Japan agree to deepen defense exchanges, cooperation

The shared understanding was reached in talks in Seoul between South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and his visiting Japanese counterpart Shinjiro Koizumi, Yonhap News reported.

Koizumi arrived in the South Korean capital on Saturday for a two-day visit – his first trip as defense minister – as the two sides seek to bolster defense cooperation amid improving bilateral ties.

It comes months after South Korea’s defense chief visited Japan in January.

"The two ministers agreed to continue advancing exchanges and cooperation between the aerobatic teams of the two countries – South Korea's Black Eagles and Japan's Blue Impulse," said a joint press statement released after the talks.

"They also agreed to further develop search and rescue exercises for various maritime contingencies and to push for greater cooperation in advanced science and technology fields, including AI," it added.

The two sides also reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and establishing lasting peace in the region.

Earlier this month, the two countries resumed their joint maritime search and rescue exercises for the first time in nine years.