Korea-Japan Defense Ministers' First Video Talks... "Promotion of South Korea-Japan Defense Cooperation"

Japan's Defense Minister Ken Nakatani had his first meeting with Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun via video since taking office.

After the meeting with Minister Kim, Nakatani told reporters that they agreed to pursue defense cooperation between South Korea and Japan.

Defense Minister Nakatani, who took office on the 1st, held a video conference with Secretary Kim for the second time today, following his first call with U.S. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on the 8th.

At a reception hosted by the Korean Embassy in Japan on the 2nd, he said that defense cooperation between Korea and Japan is making rapid progress and that he will continue to strive for defense cooperation between the two countries.

The defense minister of South Korea and Japan reportedly did not discuss the creation of an "Asian version of NATO," a pledge made by Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba in last month's election to head the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.