Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-Back inspect honor guards during a welcoming ceremony before their meeting at the Defense Ministry in Seoul, South Korea, 28 June 2026. Photo by KIM HONG-JI / EPA
June 28 (Asia Today) -- The defense chiefs of South Korea and Japan agreed Sunday to expand cooperation in artificial intelligence, maritime search and rescue operations and other security fields while reaffirming their commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.
South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi also pledged to continue bilateral defense cooperation and three-way coordination with the United States, according to a joint statement issued after their meeting in Seoul.
The two ministers reaffirmed their commitment to establishing lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula and agreed that cooperation should continue to preserve regional peace and stability amid an increasingly difficult security environment.
Koizumi arrived in South Korea on Saturday for a two-day visit. It marked the first visit by a Japanese defense minister primarily for bilateral talks since 2015.
