Senior defense officials from South Korea and Japan reaffirmed on Tuesday that their trilateral cooperation with the United States is essential for maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the broader region. The officials also committed to ongoing efforts to expand defense exchanges.
South Korea's Vice Defense Minister Lee Doo-hee and his Japanese counterpart, Atsushi Ando, shared this view during talks held on the margins of the Seoul Defense Dialogue. According to a release from Seoul's defense ministry, both sides agreed that the trilateral partnership among South Korea, Japan, and the U.S. is crucial for regional security.
They also agreed to maintain communication and continue fostering stable, mutually beneficial, and forward-looking defense exchanges grounded in mutual understanding and trust. Ando attended the forum in place of Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi.
In separate meetings, Lee discussed enhancing bilateral defense cooperation with Finland's permanent secretary of defense, Janne Kuusela, amid growing security links between Europe and the Indo-Pacific. They also agreed to expand cooperation in defense, science, technology, and the defense industry, building on existing partnerships. Lee further met with Malaysian Secretary General of Defense Lokman Hakim Bin Ali and Singapore's Minister of State for Defense Desmond Choo to discuss strengthening cooperation in defense and arms manufacturing.
What Happens Next
01Officials will continue efforts to foster defense exchanges between South Korea and Japan.
02South Korea and Finland will expand cooperation in defense, science, technology, and industry.
03South Korea and Malaysia will strengthen cooperation in defense and arms manufacturing.
04South Korea and Singapore will strengthen cooperation in defense and arms manufacturing.
