A long overdue meeting between South Korean and Japanese defense ministers is expected next week.
It′s been four years since the two chiefs have sat down for a one－on－one.
Laah Hyun－kyung tells us more.
Korean defense minister Han Min－koo and his Japanese counterpart Gen Nakatani will discuss ways to deter North Korea′s increasing nuclear and missile threats.
Their meeting will most likely take place on May 30th... during the 14th Asia Security Summit in Singapore， more commonly known as the Shangri－la Defense Dialogue.
Experts have noted the session′s timing.
It follows the April revision of the U.S.－Japan defense guideline，... which opened up the possibility for Tokyo to support the U.S. military in case of war in Korea.
″Korea has been very careful for Japan′s military or self－defense forces coming to Korea or Korean peninsula for almost any reason so there are many issues to talk about between the two countries.″
Those topics include detailing when and under what circumstances Seoul will permit aid from Tokyo′s military... and also whether... or to what extent the two countries will share military information.
However， some experts insist ... the Shinzo Abe Cabinet must first show sincerity in mending Seoul－Tokyo ties， ... which have been strained by Japan′s repeated territorial claims to Korea′s easternmost Dokdo Island... and the issue of Japan′s wartime atrocities.
Given these tensions， the defense meeting comes at a very critical time，... but whether they will achieve a breakthrough remains to be seen.
Laah Hyun－kyung， Arirang News.
