S. Korea, Japan defense chiefs hold video call; Ahn conveys condolences over Kumamoto quake

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back held a video call Tuesday afternoon with Japanese Defense Minister Koizumi Shin-jiro to discuss bilateral security cooperation.

During the call, Ahn conveyed condolences over the earthquake that recently struck the Kumamoto region of Japan and reaffirmed the trust and friendship built between the two countries' defense authorities during his tenure.

A magnitude-7.1 earthquake struck Kumamoto Prefecture in Kyushu, Japan, on July 28, killing nearly 40 people and damaging thousands of homes as large shopping malls and paper factories collapsed.

Aftershocks have continued across the Kumamoto area as recovery efforts proceed.

The two ministers agreed on the importance of Korea-Japan and Korea-US-Japan cooperation for peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in the broader region. They also shared the view that reciprocal, future-oriented defense exchange and cooperation grounded in mutual understanding and trust should be pursued on a stable basis.

Ahn and Koizumi have met multiple times since January, when Ahn visited Japan for their first talks, followed by video and in-person meetings in April and June.

Their sixth meeting was held in Seoul on June 28, where they discussed ways to strengthen defense exchange and cooperation.

The video call marked an instance of the two sides using established communication channels to address both disaster condolences and security cooperation at the same time.