By Ryo Hinata-Yamaguchi
On April 1, two Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (MSDF) escort destroyers,Kurama and Yamagiri, anchored at a South Korean navybase in Pyeongtaek as part of a training voyage. The move sent a strongsignal to North Korea that Japan and South Korea are stepping up their security cooperation. However, the fact that the naval exchange barely got a mention in the South Korean mediareflects just how carefully Seoul and Tokyo treat the question of “security cooperation.”
In some ways, it’shard to be optimistic about ties between Japan and South Korea. Last January, Seoul denied reports over talks with Tokyo on strengthening military cooperation. Moreover, talks between South Korean President Lee Myung-bak and Noda Yoshihiko in Kyotoat the end of last year ended with very little progress on regional security, with discussion instead getting snarled in historical issues.
Read the full story at The Diplomat