Korea-Japan Diplomatic and Defense Director-General-level Dialogue...emphasis on security cooperation

The absence of the Sado Mine memorial ceremony has created a cooling atmosphere in Korea-Japan relations, and a director-general-level diplomatic and security dialogue in the form of "2+2" involving diplomatic and defense authorities from the two countries was held in Tokyo, Japan.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Defense said the 13th Security Policy Council, attended by foreign and security officials from both Korea and Japan, was held in Tokyo and shared a recent assessment of the regional security environment.

He also explained that they discussed the current status of diplomatic and defense policy cooperation between the two countries and the direction of future security cooperation.

The two countries have recently been at odds over the Sado mine memorial, but they have shared the view that they are strategically important partners in the geopolitical security environment, which has been exacerbated by the North Korean nuclear threat and military cooperation between North Korea and Russia.