- Defense ministers of Japan and South Korea held their first ministerial talks in over three years, marking a significant step in improving security cooperation between the two nations.
- The discussions focused on preventing a recurrence of incidents similar to the 2018 fire-control radar incident and emphasized the importance of promoting defense cooperation between Japan and South Korea.
- Both sides agreed to accelerate discussions on major issues of concern, including measures to prevent future radar incidents, indicating a positive shift in bilateral relations and a commitment to resolving differences in the defense arena.
The defense ministers of Japan and South Korea recently convened their inaugural ministerial talks in Singapore, marking a significant step forward in their efforts to mend bilateral relations in the realm of security. This development follows a 2018 incident involving fire-control radar that sparked tensions between the two countries’ navies.
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During their meeting at the Shangri-La Dialogue Asia security conference, Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada and South Korean defense chief Lee Jong-sup engaged in discussions encompassing various subjects, including strategies to prevent a recurrence of a similar incident to the 2018 episode. Emphasizing the importance of promoting defense cooperation between Japan and South Korea, Minister Hamada expressed their agreement to expedite dialogues on pertinent matters between their defense authorities, specifically focusing on measures to prevent a repetition of the radar incident.
The incident in December 2018 entailed Japan’s claim that a South Korean destroyer had directed its fire-control radar at a Maritime Self-Defense Force patrol plane within Japan’s exclusive economic zone in the Sea of Japan. Japan’s Defense Ministry, in its final report on the matter in 2019, classified this action as a “simulation of an attack.”
Under the previous administration of President Moon Jae-in, bilateral relations between South Korea and Japan deteriorated due to a range of historical, economic, and security issues. Seoul refuted Japan’s accusation, condemning the low-altitude flight of the MSDF plane as menacing. However, the advent of President Yoon Suk-yeol’s administration has witnessed a notable improvement in relations, with the South Korean leader exhibiting a greater inclination to address obstacles hindering strengthened ties, particularly in the defense sector.
President Yoon and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida have even reinstated the practice of regular reciprocal visits between their respective nations, driven by mounting concerns over North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs. The thaw in relations followed President Yoon’s administration proffering a resolution to the longstanding issue of wartime labor, paving the way for the recent talks between the defense chiefs—marking the first meeting of its kind since November 2019 in Thailand.
Furthermore, last week, a Maritime Self-Defense Force ship, while flying the controversial Rising Sun flag—regarded by some as a symbol of Japan’s militaristic past, but mandated by law—made a port call in the South Korean city of Busan without eliciting significant criticism.
In Singapore on Saturday, Hamada and Lee, alongside U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, participated in a trilateral summit, during which they mutually agreed to establish a mechanism enabling real-time sharing of warning data on North Korean missile launches before the end of the year. Hamada conveyed that the three nations expected the system to commence initial operations within the coming months.
In a joint statement released subsequent to the meeting, Hamada, Lee, and Austin discussed the ongoing progress regarding the mechanism, underscoring its significance for deterrence, peace, and stability. They also pledged to conduct regular military exercises, encompassing anti-submarine drills and missile-defense exercises.
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According to media reports, Japan and South Korea are contemplating the integration of their radars through a U.S. system, enabling Tokyo to access real-time data and enhance its detection capabilities as North Korea continues to engage in an unprecedented number of missile launches.
Reports suggest that Japan and South Korea are considering linking their radars through a U.S. system, which would provide Tokyo with real-time data, enhancing its detection capabilities as North Korea continues its unprecedented rate of missile launches. This real-time data-sharing would involve connecting radar and command-and-control systems used by the Self-Defense Forces and U.S. forces in Japan with the South Korean military and American forces in the region, facilitated by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command based in Hawaii. This approach would address the sensitivity of information-sharing between two non-allied countries, Japan and South Korea, by utilizing their mutual ally, the United States.
Japan’s defense system currently employs Aegis destroyers equipped with SM-3s to detect and intercept North Korean ballistic missiles outside the Earth’s atmosphere.