Trilateral navies discuss North Korea threat response

Apr 16, 2026, 08:58 am

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Kim Kyung-ryul (center) meets Stephen Koehler (left) and Saito Akira (right) at a welcome dinner in Seoul on April 15. / ROK Navy

Top naval commanders from South Korea, the United States, and Japan gathered on April 15 to discuss ways to enhance maritime security cooperation and strengthen joint responses to North Korea’s growing threats.

Kim Kyung-ryul, Chief of Staff of the Republic of Korea Navy, held separate bilateral talks in Seoul with Stephen Koehler, Commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, and Saito Akira, Chief of Staff of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.

In talks with Koehler, Kim discussed maintaining a robust combined defense posture between South Korea and the United States, as well as expanding cooperation in ship maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO), along with broader maritime security and defense industry collaboration.

During his meeting with Saito, Kim addressed the resumption of Korea-Japan search and rescue exercises (SAREX), which had been agreed upon at a defense ministers’ meeting in January. The two sides also exchanged views on expanding unit-level and personnel exchanges between the two navies.

Following the bilateral talks, the three leaders attended a welcome dinner at the Navy chief’s residence in Seoul, where they discussed trilateral coordination to enhance deterrence and response capabilities against North Korea’s advancing nuclear and missile threats.

They also agreed to continue strengthening friendly cooperation and close coordination among the three navies to address evolving regional security challenges.

#South Korea Navy #US Navy #Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force #trilateral cooperation