Summary
- South Korea and Japan reaffirmed their commitment to the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula on Sunday and agreed to revive joint search-and-rescue drills, marking a step forward in strengthening security ties between the two neighbours.
- However, in 2025, then-Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and President Lee agreed to strengthen security and economic ties, with defence ministers committing to work with Washington against North Korea’s nuclear programme and Pyongyang’s growing military cooperation with Russia.
- By reaffirming denuclearisation goals and expanding defence ties, South Korea and Japan are seeking to strengthen regional stability amid growing threats from North Korea and its military partnerships.
South Korea and Japan reaffirmed their commitment to the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula on Sunday and agreed to revive joint search-and-rescue drills, marking a step forward in strengthening security ties between the two neighbours.
Meeting in Seoul, South Korean Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back and Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi held the sixth round of bilateral talks. Both ministers agreed to pursue regional stability through closer cooperation, not only bilaterally but also in partnership with Washington. “Both ministers shared the view to continue cooperation for maintaining regional peace and stability amid a grave security environment,” South Korea’s defence ministry said in a statement.
The talks reflect ongoing efforts by Seoul and Tokyo, encouraged by the United States, to overcome historical differences and build stronger defence ties. Since 2022, both governments have worked to expand cooperation, a policy continued under South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi.
Relations between the two countries have often been strained. In 2019, South Korea moved to end the GSOMIA intelligence-sharing pact after Japan restricted exports of semiconductor materials and removed Seoul from its preferential trade list, citing unresolved grievances from Japan’s colonial rule of the Korean peninsula. However, in 2025, then-Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba and President Lee agreed to strengthen security and economic ties, with defence ministers committing to work with Washington against North Korea’s nuclear programme and Pyongyang’s growing military cooperation with Russia.
On Sunday, Ahn and Koizumi also agreed to continue fostering exchanges between their air forces’ aerobatic teams — South Korea’s Black Eagles and Japan’s Blue Impulse — as part of efforts to advance joint search-and-rescue exercises for maritime accident scenarios.
The two sides previously met in Japan in January and again in May at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, where they discussed a possible military-logistics support agreement covering fuel, food and ammunition. They also agreed to hold a joint humanitarian search-and-rescue exercise in June, the first in nearly a decade.
Despite progress, tensions remain. Disputes over Korean women forced into Japanese military brothels during World War Two continue to strain relations. In February, Seoul protested against a Japanese government event commemorating disputed islands known as Takeshima in Japan and Dokdo in South Korea, which controls the territory.
The renewed commitment to dialogue and cooperation highlights both governments’ recognition of the need to balance historical grievances with present-day security challenges. By reaffirming denuclearisation goals and expanding defence ties, South Korea and Japan are seeking to strengthen regional stability amid growing threats from North Korea and its military partnerships.
