Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back (L) and his Japanese counterpart, Gen Nakatani, pose for a photo during their meeting in Seoul on Sept. 8, 2025, in this photo provided by Seoul’s defense ministry. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Sept. 8 (Korea Bizwire) — The defense chiefs of South Korea and Japan on Monday agreed to strengthen security cooperation and explore the possibility of cooperation in high-tech sectors, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and drones, the defense ministry said.
Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and his Japanese counterpart, Gen Nakatani, reached the consensus as they met in Seoul on Monday afternoon. It marked the first official visit to the country by a Japanese defense minister in 10 years.
“(They) agreed on the need to advance bilateral defense ties in a forward-looking manner and especially seek the possibility of mutually beneficial cooperation in areas of cutting-edge technology, such as AI, unmanned assets and space,” the ministry said in a joint statement issued with Tokyo’s defense ministry.
In the meeting, both sides underscored the importance of seeking bilateral security cooperation, as well as three-way cooperation with the United States, in a “stable” manner.
The defense chiefs reaffirmed their firm commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and continue to pursue trilateral cooperation, also involving the U.S., against North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats.
Both sides also emphasized the need to jointly address deepening military cooperation between North Korea and Russia, according to the ministry.
Their meeting came just days after the leaders of North Korea, Russia and China together attended a major military parade in Beijing in an apparent display of unity.
Defense officials of South Korea and Japan hold a ministerial-level meeting in Seoul on Sept. 8, 2025, in this photo provided by the South’s defense ministry. (Yonhap)
Noting that South Korea and Japan mark the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties this year, the defense chiefs agreed to strengthen communication between defense authorities.
As part of these efforts, they concurred on the need to expand personnel exchanges between the two nations through mutual visits of senior officials and regular meetings.
Monday’s meeting came as Nakatani visited Seoul for the Seoul Defense Dialogue, an annual security forum hosted by the South’s defense ministry.
During his two-day trip, he will also visit the National Cemetery in Seoul and the Navy’s 2nd Fleet command in Pyeongtaek, some 60 kilometers south of Seoul.
Nakatani had initially planned to visit Seoul in December last year, but the trip was canceled following former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s failed martial law bid.
Ahn and Nakatani held phone talks last month and agreed to continue with their bilateral security cooperation, as well as trilateral cooperation involving the U.S., and meet at an early date to hold in-depth discussions.
(Yonhap)
