Defense chiefs of S. Korea, Japan reaffirm 3-way coordination with U.S. amid N.K. threats

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, Oct. 28 (Yonhap) -- The defense ministers of South Korea and Japan reaffirmed Wednesday the need to closely work together with the United States, their mutual ally, in their coordinated response to North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats, Seoul's defense ministry said.

Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul shared the view with Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi during their first one-on-one meeting on the margins of a regional defense ministers' meeting in the Philippines.

"The ministers reaffirmed the importance of trilateral coordination among South Korea, the U.S. and Japan to counter North Korea's evolving nuclear and missile threats amid a rapidly changing international landscape and a grave security environment on the Korean Peninsula," the ministry said in a release.

Kang also briefed his Japanese counterpart on the recent explosion of a North Korean-placed land mine that injured three South Korean soldiers. He went on to stress the need for international coordination to address rising military tensions along the inter-Korean border and deepening military ties between Pyongyang and Moscow.

On bilateral ties, the two sides exchanged views on defense exchanges and cooperation, including those in the advanced science and technology sectors, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and unmanned systems.

They agreed to continue efforts to enhance defense cooperation in a mutually beneficial and forward-looking manner, the ministry said.

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