Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

Joint Press Conference After Bilateral Defense Ministerial Talks

Authorities Discuss Revitalizing Dialogue and Security Cooperation

South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won Sik (far right) and Japanese Minister of Defense Minoru Kihara (far left) take a commemorative photo together after their bilateral talks at the 21st Asian Security Summit.

South Korea and Japan have agreed to revitalize dialogue between their defense authorities. The Navy of South Korea and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force also agreed to mutually ensure the smooth and safe operation of naval vessels and aircraft at sea.

Minister of National Defense Shin Won Sik and Japanese Minister of Defense Minoru Kihara announced the details after having bilateral talks on the sidelines of the 21st Asia Security Summit in Singapore on June 1 (local time).

In their joint press statement, the ministers of both nations agreed on annualizing vice-ministerial defense talks between the two nations, resuming working-level defense policy talks between them, and restarting high-level exchanges between the South Korean Armed Forces and the Japan Self-Defense Forces. They also agreed to discuss the details of future security cooperation.

Specifically, to prevent a recurrence of incidents similar to the one between the Navy of South Korea and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force in December 2018, they agreed to mutually comply with the details resulting from consultations between the defense authorities of two nations that have been ongoing since last year.

Accordingly, the chief of naval operations of South Korea and the chief of staff of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force will proceed with the administrative procedures required for signing an agreement, which will include communication protocols between naval vessels and aircraft of the two nationalities as well as headquarters-level communication. Going forward, the Navy of South Korea and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force will conduct operations in compliance with the agreement in cases of maritime encounters during peacetime.

The agreement includes provisions for their cooperation to mutually comply with the "Code for Unplanned Encounters at Sea (CUES)" adopted at the Western Pacific Naval Symposium. It also stipulates adherence to "safe distances" with specifics on horizontal distances and altitudes between vessels and aircraft and to the "naval vessel verification procedures" that outline actions to be avoided by commanding officers of the two sides.

In their statement, the two ministers said, "We share the view that security cooperation between South Korea and Japan is beneficial to both nations sharing core values and strategic interests. It also serves as a cornerstone for robust trilateral security cooperation with the United States and is essential not only for deterring threats from North Korea but also for cooperating to facilitate a free and open Indo-Pacific region."

By Hyun-woo, Seo <lgiant61@dema.mi.kr>

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