Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul met with Japanese Ambassador to South Korea Koichi Mizushima on the 19th to discuss the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and in the wider region, as well as pending issues in defense exchanges and cooperation between the two countries, the Ministry of National Defense said.
At the ministry's headquarters in Seoul's Yongsan district, Kang and Mizushima agreed on the need to pursue mutually beneficial and forward-looking defense exchanges and cooperation between South Korea and Japan in a stable manner.
The two also reaffirmed the importance of trilateral security cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan in countering North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile threats amid rapidly shifting international conditions and a grave security environment on the peninsula.
Kang asked Mizushima to serve as a strong bridge between the two countries to help advance South Korea-Japan relations.