▲ (From L to R) Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi pose for a photo during their brief encounter on the sidelines of the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 30, 2026, in this photo provided by South Korea's defense ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

S Korea-US-Japan-defense chiefs

Defense chiefs of S. Korea, U.S., Japan reaffirm security cooperation in brief encounter

By Kim Seung-yeon

SINGAPORE, May 30 (Yonhap) -- The defense chiefs of South Korea, the United States and Japan on Saturday reaffirmed their shared commitment to advancing three-way cooperation betwewn their countries in a brief meeting held on the sidelines of an international defense forum in Singapore.

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back was joined by U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi on the margins of the Asia Security Summit, also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue.

The meeting only lasted about five minutes due to time constraints, but it reflected the significance the three countries place on their trilateral cooperation and commitment to further developing the partnership going forward, a Seoul official said.

The three sides also had a brief encounter in Malaysia in November, on the occasion of a multilateral gathering of defense ministers led by the 11-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

(END)

[ⓒ K-VIBE. 무단전재-재배포 금지]