The Ministry of National Defense announced on June 25 that An and Koizumi will hold a Korea-Japan Defense Minister meeting at the Ministry of National Defense in Seoul on the morning of June 28. Koizumi is also expected to meet with Foreign Minister Park at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs around 4 p.m. on the same day.
Koizumi's visit follows An's trip to Japan in January and is part of ongoing shuttle diplomacy between the two countries' defense ministers. This meeting comes nearly a month after their bilateral talks at the Shangri-La Dialogue in late May.
Officials from both countries are expected to discuss measures to promote defense exchanges during this meeting. In their previous meeting on January 30 in Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, the ministers agreed to resume search and rescue exercises (SAREX) involving the South Korean Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force for the first time in nine years. They also decided to make their meetings an annual event.
There is particular interest in whether Koizumi will address the Mutual Logistics Support Agreement (ACSA) during the talks. This agreement would allow for mutual support of military supplies such as ammunition, food, and fuel in times of crisis. If enacted, it could raise concerns about the presence of Japanese Self-Defense Force vessels or transport aircraft near the Korean Peninsula or their legal entry into the region during emergencies.
This marks the first visit by a Japanese defense minister to South Korea for bilateral talks since 2015. Last September, then-Defense Minister Nobuo Kishi visited South Korea for a meeting with An, but that visit was tied to the 2025 Seoul Security Dialogue.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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