Photo : Defense Ministry / Yonhap
The defense chiefs of South Korea, the United States and Japan reaffirmed their commitment to trilateral security cooperation during a brief meeting in Singapore.
Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi met and posed for a commemorative photo Saturday on the sidelines of the Asia Security Summit, known as the Shangri-La Dialogue.
Although no formal talks were held due to time constraints, the encounter was seen as underscoring the three countries’ commitment to continued security coordination.
The defense chiefs last met on the sidelines of the ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus in Malaysia in November 2025, where they also held an informal exchange without a separate formal session.
South Korea and the United States, which traditionally hold bilateral defense talks during the Shangri-La Dialogue, did not hold a separate meeting this year.