Japan and South Korea upgrade defence pact to counter China and North Korea

Last Updated on January 30, 2026 11:25 pm

Kyodo

Japanese Defence Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his South Korean counterpart Ahn Gyu Back decided on Friday to step up personnel exchanges between their forces amid mounting regional security challenges.

At the Maritime Self-Defense Force’s (MSDF) base in Koizumi’s hometown of Yokosuka, near Tokyo, the two agreed to hold annual reciprocal visits, as ties between the Asian neighbours have continued to improve in recent years.

“We opened the door for a new level of defence exchanges between Japan and South Korea,” Koizumi said at the start of the meeting, which he noted was the first between defence ministers to be held in Yokosuka.