▲ Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back (L) poses with Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi during their talks at South Korea's defense ministry in Yongsan, Seoul, on June 28, 2026, in this photo provided by the defense ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
▲ Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back (2nd from L) and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi (third from L) review an honor guard during an official welcoming ceremony ahead of their talks, held at the South Korean defense ministry headquarters in Yongsan, Seoul, on June 28, 2026. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)
▲ Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back (L) and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi speak during a discussion with young people of both countries at the Korea Institute for Defense Analysis, in Seoul, on June 28, 2026, in this photo provided by South Korea's defense ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
▲ Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back (R) and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi play a friendly table tennis match at the Korea Institute for Defense Analysis, in Seoul, on June 28, 2026, in this photo provided by South Korea's defense ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

(3rd LD) S Korea-Japan-defense talks

(3rd LD) S. Korea, Japan agree to continue defense exchanges, cooperation, including in AI: Seoul

(ATTN: UPDATES story with more details in paras 17-20; CHANGES photos)

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, June 28 (Yonhap) -- The top defense chiefs of South Korea and Japan agreed Sunday to continue efforts to deepen bilateral exchanges and cooperation, including in advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), Seoul's defense ministry said.

The two sides affirmed the shared commitment following talks between Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi in Seoul, as the two sides seek to bolster defense cooperation amid improving bilateral ties.

"The two ministers agreed to continue advancing exchanges and cooperation between the aerobatic teams of the two countries -- South Korea's Black Eagles and Japan's Blue Impulse," a joint press statement released after the talks said.

"They also agreed to further develop search and rescue exercises for various maritime contingencies and to push for greater cooperation in advanced science and technology fields, including AI," it added.

Koizumi arrived in Seoul the previous day for a two-day visit -- his first trip as defense minister -- reciprocating Ahn's visit to Japan in January for talks with his Japanese counterpart.

His trip came as South Korea and Japan are seeking to build on the positive momentum in defense ties to further cement their cooperation.

The references to the aerobatic teams and search and rescue drills in the joint statement likely signal their willingness to bolster interactions in non-combat fields, rather than direct military exchanges deemed sensitive to many South Koreans, given the history of Japan's 1910-45 colonial rule of Korea.

Earlier this month, the two countries resumed their joint maritime search and rescue exercises (SAREX) for the first time in nine years, after resolving a 2018 dispute over a Japanese patrol aircraft's low-altitude flyby over a South Korean warship.

The commitment to expanding cooperation between the aerobatic teams is also seen as a step forward.

Japan had rejected to provide refueling support to the Black Eagles in November last year, citing one of the aircraft's participation in a routine drill over South Korea's easternmost islets of Dokdo. Japan has long laid territorial claims over the outcroppings.

The Black Eagles refueled at a Japanese air base two months later after Ahn and Koizumi agreed to settle the matter during phone talks in December.

On Saturday, Koizumi and Ahn toured the Black Eagles unit together at an air base in Gangwon Province.

In Sunday's talks, the ministers also reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and establishing lasting peace in the region, the statement said.

"The ministers shared the view that cooperation should continue to ensure regional peace and stability amid the grave security landscape," it said. "They agreed to continue coordination at the bilateral level and also trilaterally among South Korea, the United States and Japan."

Sunday's talks came less than a month after their previous meeting on the margins of a security forum in Singapore.

Following the talks, the ministers took part in a "youth security dialogue," organized to help young people deepen their understanding of each country's defense policies.

During the session, the ministers stressed the importance of "building friendly ties based on mutual trust and working to develop relations in a mutually beneficial and future-oriented manner," the ministry said in a separate release.

"I hope we will continue to achieve a stable and future-oriented relationship with Japan, through various opportunities linking the current and future generations, such as this dialogue," Ahn was quoted as saying by the ministry.

Following the youth dialogue, the ministers played a friendly game of table tennis, alongside some of the young participants, as part of an exchange.

Later in the day, Koizumi met one-on-one with Foreign Minister Cho Hyun and discussed bilateral relations and cooperation, according to Seoul officials.

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