Japanese Defense Minister to Visit South Korea Within the Year... First Time in 9 Years

Korea-Japan Defense Ministers Meeting: "Serious Concerns Over North Korea Troop Deployment"

Japanese Defense Minister Nakatani Gen will visit South Korea within this year. It is the first time in nine years since 2015.

According to the Ministry of National Defense on the 22nd, Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun held a series of meetings with the defense ministers of Japan, India, Thailand, and Laos on the occasion of attending the 11th ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) held in Laos the previous day, discussing ways to revitalize defense and defense industry cooperation.

According to the Ministry of National Defense, during the meeting between Minister Kim and Defense Minister Nakatani, they expressed serious concerns and strongly condemned the all-round military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, including the deployment of North Korean troops to Russia, and agreed that South Korea and Japan will closely cooperate with the international community to block Russia-North Korea military cooperation.

Furthermore, both sides agreed that close communication and coordination between South Korea and Japan, as well as among South Korea, the United States, and Japan, are essential in the severe security situation where North Korea's nuclear and missile threats are intensifying, and decided to continue developing security cooperation among South Korea, Japan, and the United States.

Minister Kim then held a bilateral meeting with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh, explaining that North Korea's intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launches and the release of contaminated balloons threaten peace on the Korean Peninsula and worldwide, condemning these actions.

The South Korea-India ministers evaluated the recent expansion of cooperation in areas such as cyber, the United Nations, and UN peacekeeping operations (UN PKO), and agreed to concretize ways to expand defense cooperation through the upcoming deputy minister-level regular consultative body, the South Korea-India Defense Strategic Dialogue, scheduled for December.

Additionally, the two ministers agreed to continue discussions to expand cooperation on the K-9 self-propelled howitzer, a symbol of defense industry cooperation between the two countries.

Minister Kim also condemned Russia-North Korea military cooperation during his meeting with Thai Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Prawit Wongsuwan, emphasizing the need for a united international response.

The two ministers promised to enhance cooperation in the defense industry sector and agreed to work closely to develop defense cooperation between South Korea and ASEAN based on the successful hosting of the South Korea-ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting. Thailand will serve as South Korea's dialogue coordinator within ASEAN for three years starting from August this year.

In the bilateral meeting with Laos' Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense Chansamone Chanyalath, the chair country of ASEAN, Minister Kim explained the significance of upgrading South Korea-ASEAN relations to a "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership" and South Korea's commitment to cooperation with ASEAN.