South Korea and Japan agreed to strengthen defence cooperation, with a specific focus on integrating artificial intelligence and unmanned weapon systems. The ministers met in Yokosuka and committed to joint naval search-and-rescue exercises. The talks mark a warming of ties under new leaders and reaffirm coordination with the United States to address regional security challenges. The meeting follows a September session in Seoul.
South Korea, Japan to Deepen Defence Ties, Pledge Collaboration on AI and Unmanned Systems
A view of South Korean and Japanese national flags on the airplane carrying South Korea's President Yoon Suk Yeol and his wife Kim Keon-hee, at Tokyo International Airport (Haneda Airport) in Tokyo, Japan March 16, 2023. REUTERS/Issei Kato
South Korea and Japan's defence ministers agreed on Friday to deepen bilateral military cooperation and to collaborate on integrating artificial intelligence and unmanned weapon systems into their defence planning, South Korea's Defence Ministry said.
Shinjiro Koizumi, Japan's defence minister, met his South Korean counterpart, Ahn Gyu-back, in Yokosuka, Japan. The two ministers also agreed to conduct joint naval search-and-rescue exercises as part of efforts to enhance practical interoperability between their forces.
The ministers discussed steps to preserve peace and stability in the region amid evolving global security challenges. They reaffirmed ongoing defence coordination with the United States and underscored the importance of trilateral cooperation among the three U.S. allies in Asia.
The meeting follows talks between the pair in September in Seoul and reflects a recent thaw in relations under new governments as both countries seek to move past decades of historical tensions stemming from Japan's early 20th-century occupation of the Korean Peninsula.
Why it matters: Closer South Korea–Japan defence ties, combined with joint work on AI and unmanned systems, could improve regional deterrence and crisis response while raising questions about interoperability, rules of engagement and export controls that the countries will need to manage.
The South Korean Defence Ministry cited reporting from Yonhap News Agency that Koizumi told Ahn trilateral defence cooperation among Japan, South Korea and the United States is now “more important than ever.”
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