Senior naval commanders from South Korea, the United States, and Japan have held a series of meetings in Seoul aimed at strengthening trilateral cooperation in maritime security.
The visit includes trilateral talks as well as an official working dinner, Caliber.Az reports, citing South Korean media outlets.
The meeting was attended by South Korea’s Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Kim Kyung-ryul, US Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler, and Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force Chief of Staff Admiral Akira Saito.
The three sides discussed ways to deepen defence cooperation and improve coordination amid growing regional security concerns. In particular, the United States and South Korea reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining joint defence readiness and expanding cooperation in fleet maintenance and operational support.
Separately, the delegations discussed coordination measures to counter North Korea’s efforts to expand its naval nuclear capabilities, including the construction of the Choe Hyon-ho (5,000 tons), described as “North Korea’s Aegis destroyer,” as well as test launches of strategic cruise missiles referred to as “North Korea’s Tomahawk.”
South Korea and Japan also agreed to expand personnel exchanges and resume joint maritime search-and-rescue exercises (SAREX), which have not been held for the past nine years.
The meeting took place within the scope of the trilateral security pact which Japan, South Korea and the United States signed in 2023, establishing a framework aimed at strengthening military and economic cooperation and addressing regional threats, particularly from North Korea and China. The three countries have since held multiple meetings under the agreement.
By Nazrin Sadigova
