Japan, S. Korea Defense Chiefs Pledge Efforts to Enhance Exchanges

Seoul, June 28 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his South Korean counterpart, Ahn Gyu-back, affirmed Sunday that they will work to strengthen communication and efforts for the development of stable and future-oriented defense cooperation and exchanges between their countries. At their meeting in Seoul, the two ministers also agreed to deepen cooperation and exchanges between the Blue Impulse aerobatic team of Japan’s Air Self-Defense Force and the Black Eagles, the aerobatic team of the South Korean air force. The agreement came after Black Eagles aircraft received refueling support from the Japanese side for the first time in January, at the ASDF’s Naha Air Base in the southernmost Japan prefecture of Okinawa. Details will be discussed later. Defense authorities of the two countries are considering the possibility of making such refueling support a regular arrangement. Koizumi and Ahn inspected the Black Eagles on Saturday. On a possible acquisition and cross-servicing agreement, which would enable mutual supplies of fuel and ammunition between Japan’s Self-Defense Forces and the South Korean military, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung said June 8 that conclusion of the ACSA would be difficult at the moment in light of the sentiments among South Korean people. “We are fully aware of the circumstances in South Korea,” an official of Japan’s Defense Ministry said. Sunday’s ministerial meeting was “intended to create an environment for Japan-South Korea defense cooperation,” the official added, suggesting that Koizumi and Ahn did not take up ACSA-related issues as a major topic. The two ministers reaffirmed their intentions to aim for the complete denuclearization of and the establishment of a permanent peace on the Korean Peninsula, and to continue cooperation among Japan, South Korea and the United States. In addition, Koizumi and Ahn agreed to develop search and rescue exercises between Japan’s Maritime SDF and the South Korean navy. Such an exercise was conducted for the first time in more than eight years this month. Koizumi’s ongoing visit to South Korea, the first since he took office last October, is in response to Ahn’s visit to Japan in January. It is the first time since 2002-2003 that such reciprocal visits by the defense ministers of Japan and South Korea have taken place with an interval of less than a year. After the meeting, Koizumi and Ahn attended a dialogue event with young people from Japan and South Korea to help them deepen understanding for the two countries’ defense policies and issues related to ACSA. Koizumi will also pay a courtesy call on South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Hyun. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]