Korea, Japan Agree Cooperation on AI and Maritime Rescue

South Korea and Japan's defense ministers explicitly named AI in their June 28 joint statement - and agreed to resume bilateral maritime search-and-rescue (SAREX) exercises after a nine-year hiatus. A JMSDF-ROKN drill west of Japan's Goto Islands on June 7 was the first in that gap. For AI practitioners, the SAREX revival is the more concrete signal: joint exercises create real testable demand for maritime domain awareness, sensor fusion, and SAR automation. The meeting in Seoul was Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi's first official visit in that role, reciprocating South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back's January trip to Tokyo. The joint statement agreed to further develop exchanges between the Black Eagles and Blue Impulse aerobatic teams and 'pursue discussions on advanced science and technology, including artificial intelligence.' Notably, no mention was made of the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) logistics pact Japan has long sought.