"Department of Defense coordinates next month's visit to Korea"...Expanding the role of sanctions against North Korea and Russia

If I visit Korea, I'll be back in 9 years.'Close to North Korea' is likely to be a major agenda item
South Korea-Japan summit 'close cooperation' against North Korea-Russia military cooperation
Japan Expands Diplomatic and Military Role in North Korea-Russia Sanctions
Prime Minister Ishiba Fails Early Meeting With Trump

[Anchor]
Japan's Defense Minister is reportedly coordinating a plan to visit Korea for the first time in nine years next month to hold a meeting between defense ministers of Korea and Japan.

If the visit is made, the response to military cooperation between North Korea and Russia is also expected to be closely discussed, which is interpreted as Japan's move to grow its role in sanctions against North Korea and Russia.

Correspondent Kim Se-ho's report from Tokyo.

[Reporter]
Japanese media reported that Japanese Defense Minister Ken Nakatani is visiting South Korea as early as late next month to coordinate talks with Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun.

If successful, it will be the first time in nine years that Japan's defense minister has visited Korea, and not only cooperation between Korea and Japan, but also military cooperation between Russia and North Korea, which invaded Ukraine, is expected to be a major agenda.

Defense Minister Nakatani, who has expressed his intention to visit South Korea as soon as possible, has emphasized the importance of defense cooperation with South Korea.

[Ken Nakatani / Japanese Defense Minister (8th): We are also conducting joint drills with the Korean Navy and the Maritime Self-Defense Forces, and I think it is very important to strengthen mutual trust at the unit level.]

At the Korea-Japan summit held during the APEC summit earlier, the two leaders expressed concern about military cooperation between North Korea and Russia and agreed to cooperate closely.

[Ishiba Shigeru / Japanese Prime Minister: Continuing to strengthen cooperation between Korea and Japan is an important task considering the strict security environment]

At the same time, Japan is reportedly continuing coordination with seven major countries to strengthen sanctions, including the expansion of asset freezes on North Korea and Russia.

[Yoshimasa Hayashi / Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary: The move to cooperate with North Korea not only aggravates the situation in Ukraine but is also a matter of serious concern from the perspective of regional security surrounding Japan.]

Japan's move is seen as a stepping stone to expand its diplomatic and military role in sanctions against North Korea and Russia.

However, Prime Minister Ishiba's expected initial meeting with Trump failed,
It is expected that there will be considerable difficulties in predicting and responding to the diplomatic environment surrounding Japan, such as the
Ukraine war.

On top of that, the Ishiba government's low approval rating and weak political foundation are also expected to be major obstacles to boosting its diplomatic presence.

I'm Kim Se-ho from YTN in Tokyo.