Senior defence officials from Japan, South Korea and the United States discussed the progress of plans to exchange real-time missile-warning data on North Korea, as noted in the November 2022 Phnom Penh Statement on Trilateral Partnership in the Indo-Pacific. This initiative, reflecting a longstanding intent to improve missile-defence cooperation, builds on an earlier trilateral information-sharing agreement from 2014 and the reinvigorated Japan–South Korea General Security of Military Information Agreement and comes in response to North Korea’s increasingly bold programme of missile launches. Real-time data sharing should enable faster, more accurate tracking of North Korean missiles. The governments are still discussing the specifics of the mechanism but they hope to activate it by the end of 2023. The three countries also agreed to increase cooperation related to joint maritime interdiction and anti-piracy, with future exercises likely to focus on illicit goods transferred via North Korean vessels.
Japan and South Korea have improved relations in recent months following a years-long downturn stemming from disagreements over Japan’s history of colonising the Korean Peninsula. The countries have agreed to increase security cooperation in response to China’s and North Korea’s growing defence capabilities. South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol visited Tokyo in March for the first presidential-level meeting in 12 years.
At the Shangri-La Dialogue, Japan signed an agreement with Singapore to facilitate the transfer of defence technology and equipment. This agreement expands on a similar one in 2022 and establishes a legal framework through which arms may be imported and exported from Japan to the Southeast Asian city-state. In addition, South Korea’s Defence Minister Lee Jong-sup met with his Australian counterpart, Richard Marles, and they agreed to update a 2011 bilateral memorandum of understanding on defence cooperation. EU High Representative Josep Borrell Fontelles and the defence ministers from Canada and the Netherlands also held meetings to discuss possible new bilateral defence agreements.
Australia and Vietnam discussed expediting existing bilateral agreements on peacekeeping and joint defence cooperation. The Philippines and Sweden signed an MoU on defence cooperation, potentially allowing the sale of Saab Jas-39 Gripen fighter aircraft to the Philippine Air Force. The Philippines is weighing offers from several defence companies as part of ongoing military modernisation projects. Canada and the Philippines also discussed progress towards a defence-cooperation MoU, which could cover several areas including cyber security.
Canada’s defence minister, Anita Anand, announced plans to expand her country’s recently announced Indo-Pacific Strategy, launched in November 2022, by deploying an additional warship to the region each year and participating in more international military exercises. Anand also announced the recent signing of an MoU with South Korea on defence research and development.
