Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) will hold a joint naval search and rescue exercise, reflecting their commitment to increase defense collaboration as tensions rise in the Indo-Pacific.
The nations’ defense chiefs agreed to resume the drills during talks in Yokosuka, Japan, in late January 2026. The decision followed the recent meeting between Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and ROK President Lee Jae-myung at which the leaders pledged to deepen bilateral security and economic ties.
Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and ROK Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back emphasized the importance of their democratic nations’ relationship with the United States, their mutual longtime ally, which has stressed the importance of Japan and the ROK working together.
Resumption of the humanitarian-focused naval exercise, last held in 2017, and other collaborative efforts stem from a trilateral security agreement reached in August 2023 during a summit in the U.S. The historic pact included a collective vow to promote peace and stability.
In January, Ahn and Koizumi reaffirmed their nations’ commitment to the complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. They called for personnel exchanges to build trust and said they would encourage joint research in science and technology fields such as artificial intelligence, uncrewed systems and space.
The ministers plan to meet regularly, and Ahn invited Koizumi to South Korea to sustain the bilateral effort’s momentum. Ahn was encouraged that issues “were resolved through active communication and hoped that the two countries would become not only close in distance, but close in all manners,” an ROK Defense Ministry spokesman stated.
“We agreed that, amid an increasingly severe security environment, both countries will cooperate to maintain regional peace and stability, and that we will continue Japan-South Korea and Japan-U.S.-South Korea cooperation,” Koizumi told reporters.
Koizumi has said collaboration is more important than ever with threats posed by North Korea’s illicit missile test launches.
The biennial search and rescue exercise between the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force and the ROK Navy took place 10 times between 1999 and 2017. Drills focused on ship distress scenarios near the Korean Peninsula, according to the Seoul-based Chosun Daily newspaper. Dates for the resumed exercise were not announced.
While in Yokosuka, Ahn met with Vice Adm. Patrick Hannifin, commander of the U.S. 7th Fleet, aboard the USS George Washington aircraft carrier, according to the Seoul-based Yonhap News Agency. Ahn stressed the importance of the nations’ alliance and joint defense posture.
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