Defense ministers of Korea, Japan to hold talks in Seoul over weekend
Korea's Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, right, shakes hands with Japan's Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi ahead of their meeting in Singapore, May 30. Yonhap
Defense ministers of Korea and Japan will hold talks in Seoul over the weekend, Seoul's defense ministry said Friday, as the two neighbors seek to enhance defense cooperation amid a positive mood in bilateral ties.
Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back will meet one-on-one with Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi for talks on Sunday, less than a month after their previous bilateral meeting on the sidelines of a defense forum in Singapore.
Koizumi's two-day visit to Seoul starting Saturday marks a "reciprocal visit following Ahn's trip to Yokosuka in January for talks with his Japanese counterpart," the ministry said in a release.
The two sides plan to announce the outcome of talks in a joint press statement.
The upcoming talks come after Korea and Japan resumed their joint maritime search and rescue exercises (SAREX) earlier this month following a nine-year hiatus, in what was seen as a significant step forward in their defense ties.
How the two sides will build on this momentum to further expand defense cooperation will likely be the focus of the upcoming defense ministerial talks.
Drawing attention is the two ministers' plan Saturday to jointly visit an Air Force unit in the country's east, home to Korea's Black Eagles aerobatic team.
In November, Japan rejected Korea's request for refueling support for the Black Eagles en route to an air show in Dubai.
It took issue with one of the team's aircraft after it took part in a routine drill over Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo, over which Japan has long laid territorial claims.
Ahn and Koizumi agreed to settle the matter during phone talks in December, allowing the Black Eagles to refuel at a Japanese air base in Okinawa in late January. The move marked the first refueling of a Korean military aircraft by Japanese forces.
Last week, a Japanese news outlet reported that the defense ministers may discuss the possibility of Japan's Air Self-Defense Force providing regular refueling support to the Black Eagles.
Observers say that Japan is seeking to create space for expanded future military cooperation with Korea, as Seoul remains cautious amid lingering public unease over direct military ties.
Japan has proposed signing a bilateral military logistics support pact, known as the acquisition and cross-servicing agreement (ACSA), but Korea has expressed reservations, saying the move would require public understanding and persuasion.
After Sunday's talks, the ministers will take part in a discussion with young people at the Korea Institute for Defense Analysis before playing a friendly table tennis match to reflect their close ties.
On the first day of his trip, Koizumi will also visit the Seoul National Cemetery to pay tribute to fallen soldiers.