(3rd LD) S. Korea, Japan agree to resume naval search, rescue drills after 9 yrs

▲ Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back (2nd from L) is escorted by Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi (R) upon arriving at the Yokosuka base of Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force on Jan. 30, 2026, in this photo provided by Seoul's defense ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back (R) plays table tennis with his Japanese counterpart, Shinjiro Koizumi, following their talks at the Maritime Self-Defense Force's base in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, eastern Japan, on Jan. 30, 2026. (Yonhap)

▲ Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back (R) shakes hands with Vice Adm. Patrick Hannifin aboard the USS George Washington on Jan. 30, 2026, in this photo provided by Seoul's defense ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

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

(3rd LD) S. Korea, Japan agree to resume naval search, rescue drills after 9 yrs

(ATTN: RECASTS lead; ADDS details, photos)

By Lee Minji

SEOUL/YOKOSUKA, Japan, Jan. 30 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and Japan agreed Friday to resume joint naval search and rescue exercises for the first time in nine years as they seek to strengthen defense cooperation, according to the defense ministry.

The agreement came as Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and his counterpart, Shinjiro Koizumi, met at the Yokosuka base of Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force to discuss regional security cooperation and ways to deepen the two nations' defense cooperation and exchange.

"Both ministers concurred on activating personnel and unit exchange to boost mutual understanding and trust between the South Korean military and the Japanese Self-Defense Force," the ministry said in a joint press release, mentioning the resumption of the joint drills for humanitarian purposes as an example.

South Korea and Japan last held the maritime exercises in 2017. The drills have been stalled amid a series of incidents dampening their ties, such as a row over Japan's plan to hoist the Rising Sun Flag, a controversial flag regarded as symbolic of its past imperialism, on its vessel during a 2018 fleet review in South Korea.

In their talks, Ahn and Koizumi agreed to explore ways for cooperation in areas ranging from artificial intelligence to space to advance their defense relations in a "mutually beneficial and future-oriented" direction, according to the release.

They also underscored the importance of bilateral cooperation to maintain regional peace and stability in a stern security environment and reaffirmed their will to achieve the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

As part of such efforts, they agreed to hold regular ministerial visits and talks and strengthen communication between defense authorities, the release showed.

Ahn invited Koizumi to visit South Korea to uphold the momentum of their mutual exchange, a ministry official said.

Friday's talks followed summit talks between President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Takaichi's hometown of Nara earlier this month, where they discussed ways to deepen their bilateral ties.

Reflecting such a push, the South Korean Air Force's Black Eagles team made a layover in Okinawa en route to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday in a bid to refuel and hold an exchange event with Japan's aerobatic flight team.

It marked the first time Japan's air self-defense forces provided refueling for South Korean Air Force aircraft.

Ahn and Koizumi last held bilateral talks in early November on the margins of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus in Kuala Lumpur, where they reaffirmed the importance of their trilateral security cooperation with the U.S. in the face of advancing North Korean nuclear and missile threats.

Ahn's visit marks the first by Seoul's defense chief to Japan in about 1 1/2 years since former Defense Minister Shin Won-sik visited Tokyo for ministerial talks in July 2024.

Meanwhile, as part of his trip, Ahn boarded the USS George Washington aircraft carrier docked in Yokosuka and met with Vice Adm. Patrick Hannifin, the commander of the U.S. 7th Fleet based in the Japanese port city.

During his meeting with Hannifin, Ahn underscored the importance of the steadfast South Korea-U.S. alliance and their combined defense posture, the ministry said.

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