Seoul, Tokyo resume joint maritime rescue drill after nine-year hiatus

South Korea and Japan conducted a joint maritime search and rescue exercise (SAREX), marking the first such drill between the two countries in nine years and signaling continued efforts to strengthen bilateral defense cooperation, The Korea Times reports.

According to the South Korean Navy, the exercise took place in international waters southeast of Jeju Island and involved naval assets from both countries. South Korea deployed the 4,900-ton landing ship ROKS Cheon Ja Bong, while Japan participated with the 7,250-ton Aegis-equipped destroyer Kongo and a maritime patrol helicopter from the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force.

The biennial SAREX exercise was first launched in 1999 to enhance coordination and operational readiness between the two navies in responding to maritime emergencies and search-and-rescue incidents in waters surrounding the Korean Peninsula.

The drills were suspended following their 10th iteration in 2017 as relations between Seoul and Tokyo deteriorated amid a series of diplomatic and security disputes. One of the most prominent incidents occurred in December 2018, when South Korea accused a Japanese maritime patrol aircraft of conducting an unusually low-altitude flyby over one of its naval vessels, triggering a prolonged standoff between the two governments.

The resumption of the exercise reflects improving defence ties between the two US allies amid growing regional security challenges. The decision to restart the drills was reached during talks between the countries' defence ministers in January, while the schedule was finalized during a subsequent meeting held on the sidelines of the Asia Security Summit, better known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, last month.

By Vafa Guliyeva