Japan's defense chief will visit next week
By Jun Ji-hye Gen NakataniJapanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani will visit South Korea next week, the Ministry of National Defense said Tuesday.During the trip, he is expected to hold talks with his South Korean counterpart, Han Min-koo, about mutual security-related issues, ministry officials said.“Japan has delivered its hope to hold the defense ministers’ talks between the two countries,” the ministry said. “The two sides are working on detailing the schedule.”During their talks, the two defense ministers are expected to discuss the passage of a set of controversial security bills at Tokyo’s parliament that allow Japan’s Self-Defense Forces to assist other countries in armed conflict in the name of the right to collective self-defense ― the use of force to support an ally under attack.Tokyo has constantly expressed its hope to explain the passage of the laws to Seoul, apparently wary of the latter’s concerns over the former’s possible entrance on and near South Korean territory.Nakatani is also expected to stress the
