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Defense minister calls Japan's refusal to cooperate for air show 'disappointing'

Published: 09 Nov. 2025, 17:20 Updated: 11 Nov. 2025, 20:04

Ahn Gyu-back, the minister of national defense, speaks at the National Assembly in western Seoul on Nov. 5. [NEWS1]

Korea's defense minister called Japan's actions “disappointing” after the country refused to cooperate with Korea for the upcoming Dubai Airshow, despite earlier agreements to strengthen security ties. This comment from the top defense official comes as an unusual move, given that the leaders of both countries have been promoting a future-oriented partnership.

“We had agreed to maintain close security cooperation, even though it may not be full military cooperation, and to respond proactively to North Korea’s growing nuclear and missile threats,” South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said during a KBS radio show on Sunday. “We even discussed mutual visits. But they [Japan] later showed a different face, which was disappointing.”

Ahn's comments came in response to a question about his meeting with Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi on Nov. 1, held on the sidelines of the 12th Asean Defense Ministers’ Meeting Plus in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Though Ahn did not mention a specific incident, his remarks were interpreted as veiled criticism of Japan’s refusal to allow midair refueling or landing support for the Korean Air Force’s Black Eagles aerobatic team and its T-50B jets.

Korea’s Ministry of National Defense and Japan’s Ministry of Defense had been discussing a plan for the Black Eagles to stop at Naha Air Base for refueling before flying to the Dubai Airshow scheduled for Nov. 17. The two sides agreed to allow the team to use either a U.S. military base in Japan or a base belonging to Japan’s Self-Defense Forces. But on Oct. 30, just before a Korea-Japan summit, Japan abruptly withdrew approval for the Naha stopover — reportedly in protest of the Black Eagles’ training flight over the East Sea near Dokdo on Oct. 28.

Despite this, President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi agreed during their Oct. 30 summit that “practical cooperation that both the Korean and Japanese people can feel must continue to expand.”

However, on Nov. 5, Korea’s Ministry of National Defense notified Japan that the Korean military band would cancel its participation in the upcoming Self-Defense Forces music festival — a move widely interpreted as a retaliatory measure. Japan, however, has not reversed its decision on the Black Eagles’ landing.

The issue now risks escalating into a broader diplomatic dispute.

“Japan has some deeply rooted issues that we absolutely cannot concede on, such as unresolved historical matters,” said Ahn. “We must deal with Japan in a way that we are prepared for all contingencies and remain cautious in our engagement.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY SHIM SEOK-YONG [[email protected]]