Japan, South Korea defence chiefs agree to deepen defence ties in Seoul

Japan’s Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi arrived in South Korea on June 27 for talks with his South Korean counterpart, as both countries look to deepen defence cooperation amid steadily improving bilateral ties.

Koizumi is scheduled to hold meetings with Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back during his two-day visit to Seoul, his first since taking office, Caliber.Az reports via South Korean media.

The trip follows Ahn’s visit to Yokosuka near Tokyo in January, reflecting continued high-level exchanges between the two neighbours.

On arrival, Koizumi visited the Seoul National Cemetery to pay tribute to fallen soldiers. Later on Saturday (June 27), he was expected to join Ahn at an air base in Wonju, eastern South Korea, home to the Air Force’s Black Eagles aerobatic team.

The visit to the Black Eagles unit has drawn attention after a previous dispute over refuelling support. Japan had rejected South Korea’s request for refuelling assistance for the team ahead of an air show in Dubai in November last year, citing concerns linked to a prior drill involving the team near the Dokdo islets — claimed by Japan and controlled by South Korea.

The issue was later addressed in talks between the two defence chiefs, and in January, the Black Eagles received refuelling support at a Japanese air base in Okinawa — marking the first time Japanese forces provided such assistance to a South Korean military aircraft.

The two ministers are set to hold formal talks on Sunday (June 28), less than a month after meeting on the sidelines of a defence forum in Singapore. Discussions are expected to focus on expanding practical cooperation and maintaining momentum in bilateral defence ties.

Japanese media reported last week that the ministers could also discuss the possibility of Japan’s Air Self-Defence Force providing regular refuelling support for the Black Eagles, though observers note Seoul remains cautious amid lingering public sensitivity over direct military cooperation.

By Aghakazim Guliyev