South Korea pulls out of joint search and rescue exercise with Japan’s Maritime Self-Defence Force

November 18, 2025

TOKYO – The South Korean Navy has informed Japan that it will not participate as scheduled in a joint search and rescue exercise with the Maritime Self-Defense Force which the two forces had been working together to organize and which was originally planned to be held this month, sources from both governments have said.

While defense exchanges between the two countries have been suspended since the Japanese government’s recent decision to cancel a plan to refuel South Korean Air Force aircraft, both governments aim to calm the situation to prevent it from affecting positive relations between Japan and South Korea.

The joint exercise was intended as a chance for vessels from both nations to cooperate and confirm the sequence of rescue operations. Exercises like this were held 10 times between 1999 and 2017 but ceased after a 2018 incident in which a South Korean destroyer directed its fire-control radar at a MSDF patrol aircraft.

Consequently, the resumption of joint exercises was positioned as “a symbol of strengthened cooperation,” according to a Defense Ministry official, but the South Korean side has now given notice that it will not participate in the exercise this month.

South Korea’s withdrawal from the exercise is believed to be related to Japan’s cancellation of planned refueling support for a South Korean Air Force aircraft at a Self-Defense Forces base earlier this month. The cancellation followed revelations that the South Korean aircraft which was to receive the support had flown around the Takeshima islets in Shimane Prefecture.

Additionally, the South Korean military band declined to participate in the Self-Defense Forces Marching Festival held in Tokyo from Thursday to Saturday. A Self-Defense Forces official speculated that these decisions by the South Korean military “likely stem from the fact that it has to consider domestic public opinion, which is very sensitive to relations with Japan.”

Regarding the South Korean military band’s cancellation of its visit to Japan, Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said at a press conference on Friday: “This will not create distance [in Japan-South Korea relations]. We wish to continue cooperation and exchange.”

A South Korean government official also expressed hope for the situation to improve, saying, “We hope the cancellation of this joint exercise will mark the end of this series of issues.”

Both sides are striving to maintain a good relationship due to the deteriorating security environment in the region, including North Korea’s continued development of nuclear and missile technology and unfolding military cooperation with Russia.

Japan and South Korea agreed in June last year to resume defense exchanges, when South Korea was under the administration of conservative then President Yoon Suk Yeol. The general trend toward improved relations has continued under the administration of the left-leaning South Korean President Lee Jae Myung, who took office this June.

According to a senior Defense Ministry official, the joint exercise will be rescheduled. Another official emphasized, “It is important to maintain communication while having a cooling-off period.”