What Agreements Were Reached in the Seoul Meeting Between South Korean and Japanese Defense Ministers?
South Korea and Japan reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. The defense ministers of both countries agreed to resume joint search and rescue exercises to maintain regional peace. During their talks in Seoul, they decided to deepen security cooperation by collaborating on AI and unmanned systems.
Reiterating their dedication to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, South Korea and Japan agreed to restart joint search and rescue exercises. At the sixth round of bilateral talks held in Seoul, South Korean Defense Minister An Gyuboek and his Japanese counterpart Shinjiro Koizumi agreed to cooperate through bilateral channels and in partnership with Washington to promote regional stability.
According to a statement released by South Korea’s Ministry of Defense, both ministers expressed a shared vision to continuously cooperate in maintaining regional peace and stability despite serious security challenges. Encouraged by the United States, South Korea and Japan have actively sought to build closer ties since 2022, setting aside their historical differences.
Previously, in 2019, following Japan’s imposition of export restrictions on semiconductors and its removal of South Korea from preferential trade lists, Seoul terminated the “GSOMIA” intelligence-sharing agreement with Japan. In 2025, former Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and the South Korean President agreed to deepen security and economic relations. According to this agreement, they committed to addressing North Korea’s nuclear threat and Pyongyang’s growing military ties with Russia through cooperation in AI, unmanned systems, and annual trilateral exercises.
During Sunday’s meeting, Ministers An and Koizumi also agreed to continue exchanges between their air forces’ aerobatic teams — South Korea’s ‘Black Eagles’ and Japan’s ‘Blue Impulse.’ They further agreed to advance search and rescue exercises designed in response to various maritime accidents.