S Korea-Japan-defense talks

▲ Vice Defense Minister Lee Doo-hee (L) poses with Atsushi Ando, a vice ministerial-level official of Japan's defense ministry, during their talks on the sidelines of the Seoul Defense Dialogue at The Grand Lotte hotel in Seoul on Sept. 8, 2026, in this photo provided by Seoul's defense ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

▲ Vice Defense Minister Lee Doo-hee (L) shakes hands with Janne Kuusela, permanent secretary at Finland's Ministry of Defense, during their talks on the margins of the Seoul Defense Dialogue at The Grand Lotte hotel in Seoul on Sept. 8, 2026, in this photo provided by Seoul's defense ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

By Kim Seung-yeon

SEOUL, Sept. 8 (Yonhap) -- Senior defense officials of South Korea and Japan reaffirmed Tuesday that their trilateral cooperation with the United States is vital to ensuring peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and beyond, also pledging continued efforts to expand defense exchanges.

Vice Defense Minister Lee Doo-hee shared the view with his Japanese counterpart, Atsushi Ando, during their talks on the margins of the Seoul Defense Dialogue, Seoul's defense ministry said in a release.

"Both sides agreed that bilateral and trilateral cooperation between South Korea, Japan and the U.S. is crucial for maintaining peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula, and across the region," the ministry said.

"The two sides agreed to maintain communication and ongoing efforts to foster stable, mutually beneficial and forward-looking defense exchanges based on mutual understanding and trust," it added.

Ando was attending the forum in place of Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi, who skipped the event after his visit to a controversial wartime shrine in Tokyo, seen as a symbol of Japan's imperialistic past, drew criticism from Seoul and other neighboring countries.

In a separate meeting with Janne Kuusela, Finland's permanent secretary of defense, Lee shared South Korea's assessment of the shifting global security landscape and discussed ways to enhance bilateral defense cooperation amid the growing security links between Europe and the Indo-Pacific, the ministry said.

The two sides also agreed to expand cooperation in defense, science and technology, and the defense industry, building on existing partnerships, including the K9 self-propelled howitzer project.

Lee also met separately with Malaysian Secretary General of Defense Lokman Hakim Bin Ali and Singapore's Minister of State for Defense Desmond Choo, and discussed ways to further strengthen cooperation in defense and arms manufacturing, among others, the defense ministry said.

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