South Korea’s Navy chief met with his US and Japanese counterparts in Seoul on Wednesday to discuss strengthening maritime security cooperation and trilateral coordination in response to North Korea’s growing nuclear and missile threats.
Adm. Kim Kyung-ryul, chief of naval operations of the Republic of Korea Navy, held separate bilateral talks with Adm. Stephen Koehler, commander of the US Pacific Fleet, and Adm. Saito Akira, Japan’s chief of staff of the Maritime Self-Defense Force, the Navy said.
In talks with Koehler, Kim discussed ways to reinforce the South Korea-US combined defense posture and expand cooperation in ship maintenance, repair and overhaul, as well as broader maritime security and defense industry ties.
Kim and Saito also exchanged views on resuming bilateral search and rescue exercises, as agreed during defense ministerial talks on Jan. 30, and discussed ways to enhance unit-level and personnel exchanges between the two navies.
During a welcoming dinner at the Navy chief’s official residence in Seoul, the three leaders discussed measures to strengthen coordination among South Korea, the United States and Japan to deter and respond to North Korea’s advancing nuclear and missile capabilities, while reaffirming their commitment to maritime security cooperation.
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