Yokosuka: South Korea and Japan have agreed to resume their bilateral naval search and rescue exercise for the first time in nine years as part of efforts to promote military exchange, Seoul's defense ministry announced. This significant decision was reached during defense ministerial talks held in the Japanese port city of Yokosuka.

According to Yonhap News Agency, the agreement was made as Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back of South Korea and his Japanese counterpart, Shinjiro Koizumi, engaged in discussions. The resumption of these drills marks a pivotal step in fostering military cooperation between the two nations.

"Both ministers concurred on activating personnel and unit exchange to boost mutual understanding and trust between the South Korean military and the Japanese Self-Defense Force," the ministry highlighted in a joint press release. This development is expected to enhance collaboration and communication between the military forces of South Korea and Japan.