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Defense chiefs of South Korea, Japan to hold talks in Seoul on Monday

Published: 08 Sep. 2025, 09:59

Japan's Defense Minister Gen Nakatani speaks during a joint press announcement with Britain's Defense Secretary John Healey after their meeting at the Ministry of Defense in Tokyo on Aug. 28. [AFP/YONHAP]

The defense chiefs of South Korea and Japan are set to hold talks in Seoul on Monday afternoon, the South's Defense Ministry said, on the sidelines of the first official visit to the country by a Japanese defense minister in 10 years.

The meeting between Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back and his Japanese counterpart, Gen Nakatani, comes as Nakatani visits Seoul for the Seoul Defense Dialogue, an annual security forum hosted by the South's Defense Ministry.

During his two-day trip, Nakatani will also visit the National Cemetery in Seoul and the Navy's 2nd Fleet command in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi, the ministry said.

Nakatani had initially planned to visit Seoul in December last year, but the trip was canceled following former President Yoon Suk Yeol's failed martial law bid.

In phone talks held last month, Ahn and Nakatani agreed to continue with their bilateral security cooperation as well as trilateral cooperation involving the United States and meet at an early date to hold in-depth discussions.

Their meeting also comes just days after the leaders of North Korea, Russia and China together attended a major military parade in Beijing in an apparent display of unity.

Yonhap