{"id":33176,"date":"2026-06-01T13:33:54","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T13:33:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/33176\/"},"modified":"2026-06-01T13:33:54","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T13:33:54","slug":"s-korean-defense-minister-seoul-tokyo-to-resume-maritime-search-and-rescue-drills-after-9-years-hiatus","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/japan\/33176\/","title":{"rendered":"S. Korean Defense Minister: Seoul, Tokyo to resume maritime search and rescue drills after 9 years Hiatus"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>South\u00a0Korea\u00a0and\u00a0Japan\u00a0will\u00a0resume\u00a0their\u00a0joint\u00a0maritime\u00a0search\u00a0and\u00a0rescue\u00a0exercises\u00a0(SAREX)\u00a0starting\u00a0early\u00a0next\u00a0month,\u00a0Seoul&#8217;s\u00a0defense\u00a0chief\u00a0said\u00a0Saturday,\u00a0calling\u00a0it\u00a0a\u00a0&#8220;symbolic&#8221;\u00a0move\u00a0that\u00a0reflects\u00a0improving\u00a0bilateral\u00a0relations.South\u00a0Korea&#8217;s\u00a0Defense\u00a0Minister\u00a0Ahn\u00a0Gyu-back\u00a0announced\u00a0the\u00a0plan\u00a0during\u00a0bilateral\u00a0talks\u00a0with\u00a0his\u00a0Japanese\u00a0counterpart\u00a0Shinjiro\u00a0Koizumi,\u00a0held\u00a0on\u00a0the\u00a0margins\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0Asia\u00a0Security\u00a0Summit,\u00a0also\u00a0known\u00a0as\u00a0the\u00a0Shangri-La\u00a0Dialogue.&#8221;The\u00a0SAREX\u00a0drills\u00a0will\u00a0take\u00a0place\u00a0on\u00a0June\u00a07,&#8221;\u00a0South\u00a0Korea&#8217;s\u00a0(Yonhap)\u00a0news\u00a0agency\u00a0quoted\u00a0the\u00a0defense\u00a0minister\u00a0as\u00a0saying\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0opening\u00a0remarks.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;I\u00a0believe\u00a0the\u00a0resumption\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0drills\u00a0after\u00a0nine\u00a0years\u00a0carries\u00a0a\u00a0highly\u00a0symbolic\u00a0and\u00a0declaratory\u00a0meaning.&#8221;The\u00a0drills\u00a0will\u00a0be\u00a0conducted\u00a0jointly\u00a0with\u00a0Japan&#8217;s\u00a0Maritime\u00a0Self-Defense\u00a0Force\u00a0in\u00a0international\u00a0waters\u00a0southeast\u00a0of\u00a0Jeju\u00a0Island,\u00a0South\u00a0Korea&#8217;s\u00a0Navy\u00a0said\u00a0in\u00a0a\u00a0separate\u00a0release.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0exercise\u00a0will\u00a0involve\u00a0its\u00a04,900-ton\u00a0ROKS\u00a0Cheon\u00a0Ja\u00a0Bong\u00a0landing\u00a0ship,\u00a0Japan&#8217;s\u00a07,250-ton\u00a0Aegis-equipped\u00a0Kongo\u00a0destroyer\u00a0and\u00a0a\u00a0Japanese\u00a0maritime\u00a0patrol\u00a0helicopter,\u00a0it\u00a0added.Launched\u00a0in\u00a01999,\u00a0the\u00a0biennial\u00a0SAREX\u00a0exercise\u00a0was\u00a0designed\u00a0to\u00a0train\u00a0procedures\u00a0for\u00a0coordinated\u00a0responses\u00a0between\u00a0naval\u00a0ships\u00a0from\u00a0both\u00a0countries\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0event\u00a0of\u00a0maritime\u00a0incidents\u00a0in\u00a0waters\u00a0near\u00a0the\u00a0Korean\u00a0Peninsula.But\u00a0the\u00a0drills\u00a0have\u00a0been\u00a0suspended\u00a0since\u00a0the\u00a010th\u00a0round\u00a0in\u00a02017,\u00a0as\u00a0bilateral\u00a0ties\u00a0soured\u00a0following\u00a0a\u00a0dispute\u00a0over\u00a0a\u00a0Japanese\u00a0maritime\u00a0patrol\u00a0aircraft\u00a0making\u00a0an\u00a0unusually\u00a0low-altitude\u00a0flyby\u00a0over\u00a0a\u00a0South\u00a0Korean\u00a0warship\u00a0in\u00a0December\u00a02018.Seoul\u00a0had\u00a0decried\u00a0the\u00a0plane&#8217;s\u00a0approach\u00a0as\u00a0a\u00a0&#8220;menacing&#8221;\u00a0flight,\u00a0while\u00a0Tokyo\u00a0accused\u00a0the\u00a0South\u00a0Korean\u00a0vessel\u00a0of\u00a0having\u00a0locked\u00a0its\u00a0fire-control\u00a0radar\u00a0on\u00a0the\u00a0plane.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The\u00a0two\u00a0countries\u00a0agreed\u00a0to\u00a0prevent\u00a0a\u00a0recurrence\u00a0of\u00a0such\u00a0a\u00a0spat\u00a0during\u00a0defense\u00a0ministers&#8217;\u00a0talks\u00a0in\u00a0June\u00a02024\u00a0under\u00a0the\u00a0previous\u00a0Yoon\u00a0Suk\u00a0Yeol\u00a0government\u00a0amid\u00a0a\u00a0dramatic\u00a0warming\u00a0of\u00a0bilateral\u00a0relations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"South\u00a0Korea\u00a0and\u00a0Japan\u00a0will\u00a0resume\u00a0their\u00a0joint\u00a0maritime\u00a0search\u00a0and\u00a0rescue\u00a0exercises\u00a0(SAREX)\u00a0starting\u00a0early\u00a0next\u00a0month,\u00a0Seoul&#8217;s\u00a0defense\u00a0chief\u00a0said\u00a0Saturday,\u00a0calling\u00a0it\u00a0a\u00a0&#8220;symbolic&#8221;\u00a0move\u00a0that\u00a0reflects\u00a0improving\u00a0bilateral\u00a0relations.South\u00a0Korea&#8217;s\u00a0Defense\u00a0Minister\u00a0Ahn\u00a0Gyu-back\u00a0announced\u00a0the\u00a0plan\u00a0during\u00a0bilateral\u00a0talks\u00a0with\u00a0his\u00a0Japanese\u00a0counterpart\u00a0Shinjiro\u00a0Koizumi,\u00a0held\u00a0on\u00a0the\u00a0margins\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0Asia\u00a0Security\u00a0Summit,\u00a0also\u00a0known\u00a0as\u00a0the\u00a0Shangri-La\u00a0Dialogue.&#8221;The\u00a0SAREX\u00a0drills\u00a0will\u00a0take\u00a0place\u00a0on\u00a0June\u00a07,&#8221;\u00a0South\u00a0Korea&#8217;s\u00a0(Yonhap)\u00a0news\u00a0agency\u00a0quoted\u00a0the\u00a0defense\u00a0minister\u00a0as\u00a0saying\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0opening\u00a0remarks. 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