Seoul: Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back is expected to visit Japan next week for talks with his Japanese counterpart, Shinjiro Koizumi, with the resumption of military cooperation seen as a major agenda item. The two countries are in the final stages of arranging Ahn's possible three-day trip to Japan from Jan. 29-31 for talks with Japanese Defense Minister Koizumi.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun has reported on the potential bilateral meeting, mentioning Yokosuka, near Tokyo, as a strong candidate for the venue. This city is notable as the base of the U.S. 7th Fleet. The meeting follows a recent engagement between President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi in Nara, where they discussed enhancing bilateral ties.

The Japanese newspaper also noted that Ahn and Koizumi held phone talks last month, agreeing to push for improved defense ties. These ties have been strained since an Air Force refueling incident in November when South Korean fighter jets, participating in an air show in Dubai, were unable to refuel at a Japanese air base due to Tokyo's cancellation. This decision was influenced by the T-50B aircraft's drills near the disputed islets of Dokdo, a longstanding source of tension between the two nations.

Ahn and Koizumi last engaged in bilateral talks during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Defense Ministers' Meeting-Plus in Kuala Lumpur in November. They emphasized the importance of trilateral security cooperation with the U.S. amidst growing North Korean nuclear and missile threats.

Ahn's upcoming visit will be the first by Seoul's defense chief to Japan in about 1 1/2 years, since former Defense Minister Shin Won-sik's visit to Tokyo in July 2024 for ministerial talks.