South Korea’s Defence Ministry revealed on Friday that the country and Japan have agreed to strengthen defence cooperation, including joint efforts to incorporate artificial intelligence and unmanned weapon systems.
The agreement was reached during talks in Yokosuka, Japan, between Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his South Korean counterpart, Ahn Gyu-back.
The two ministers also agreed to conduct joint naval search-and-rescue exercises, according to a ministry statement.
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The meeting comes as the two U.S. allies have moved closer politically in recent months under new leadership, seeking to overcome years of strained relations stemming from Japan’s occupation of the Korean Peninsula in the early 20th century.
During the talks, Ahn and Koizumi discussed working together to ensure peace and stability in the region amid a challenging global security environment, as well as continuing trilateral defence cooperation with the United States, the ministry said.
The Yokosuka meeting follows earlier talks held in South Korea in September. According to reports, defence cooperation between South Korea and Japan, along with the United States, was more important than ever.
REUTERS