South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Kyu-back met Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani in Seoul on Monday, marking the first visit by a Japanese defense chief in a decade.

The two sides agreed on the need to strengthen security ties and emphasized future-oriented cooperation, including potential collaboration in artificial intelligence, unmanned systems and space technologies.

It was the first time that such high-tech cooperation had been explicitly included in the outcome of a bilateral defense meeting, signaling an expansion beyond traditional military drills and personnel exchanges.

The ministers also pledged to enhance communication between their defense establishments, increase regular consultations and exchanges, and support cultural initiatives such as South Korea’s participation in Japan’s Self-Defense Forces Marching Festival.

They reaffirmed their joint commitment to countering North Korea’s nuclear and missile threats while also addressing concerns over deepening military cooperation between Pyongyang and Moscow.

Nakatani, in Seoul for the 2025 Seoul Defense Dialogue, will also visit the National Cemetery and South Korea’s Second Fleet, where he is set to pay tribute to the 46 sailors killed in the 2010 Cheonan sinking.