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South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-baek and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi inspect the guard of honor at the parade ground of the Ministry of National Defense in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on the 28th. / Courtesy of the Joint Press Corps

South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-baek and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi reaffirmed their commitment toward the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula and the establishment of permanent peace on the 28th, while agreeing to sustain security coordination between South Korea and Japan, as well as among South Korea, the United States, and Japan. This marks the first time since 2015, in 11 years, that a Japanese defense minister has visited South Korea for a bilateral summit.

The two sides stated as such in a joint press release for the South Korea-Japan defense ministerial talks held in Seoul on this day, noting that they agreed to continue bilateral cooperation to maintain regional peace and stability amid the recent grave security environment.

The two sides agreed to develop exchange cooperation between their respective special flight teams, taking the opportunity of the South Korean Air Force's aerobatic team, the Black Eagles, making stopovers in Japan. The Black Eagles had previously received refueling support at Naha Base of the Japan Air Self-Defense Force in Okinawa Prefecture this past January while participating in the "World Defense Show 2026" held in Saudi Arabia. This marked the very first instance where the Japan Air Self-Defense Force provided refueling support to a South Korean Air Force aircraft.

Defense Minister Koizumi also personally visited the Black Eagles unit at the Wonju Air Base on the 27th, the first day of his visit to South Korea, to encourage the team members. However, the Ministry of National Defense explained that this cooperation does not signify the regularization of refueling support by the Japan Air Self-Defense Force.

The two sides also agreed to regularize mutual visits and summits between their defense ministers. They positively evaluated the resumption of the South Korea-Japan Search and Rescue Exercise (SAREX) after an approximate nine-year hiatus, as well as pushing forward discussions in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) between defense authorities.

Furthermore, they aligned their stances to further develop the South Korea-Japan Search and Rescue Exercise in preparation for diverse maritime accident situations, and to continue discussions on cooperation in cutting-edge science and technology fields such as AI.

It is understood that the issue of concluding a South Korea-Japan Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) was not treated as an official agenda item during the talks on this day. However, given that Japan has consistently hoped to conclude an ACSA with South Korea, possibilities are raised that the relevant matter may have been discussed informally.

President Lee Jae-myung has previously expressed a stance to the effect that while he sympathizes with the necessity of concluding an ACSA with Japan, there are limitations to accepting it under circumstances where historical issues between South Korea and Japan have not been fully settled.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also recognizes the necessity of reviewing the conclusion of an ACSA, yet maintains a position that public sentiment must be taken into account.

The summit on this day was convened again just over a month after Minister Ahn and Defense Minister Koizumi met at the Asian Security Summit (Shangri-La Dialogue) in Singapore on the 30 of last month. Defense Minister Koizumi arrived in South Korea on the 27th for a two-day, one-night itinerary as part of the defense shuttle diplomacy between the South Korean and Japanese defense ministers. During his visit to South Korea, he paid respects at the Seoul National Cemetery and visited the Air Force's special flight team, the Black Eagles unit.

                                                                                                           Mok Yong-jae