Seoul, Jan 29 (NationPress) South Korea's Defence Minister Ahn Gyu-back set off on Thursday to Japan for discussions with his Japanese counterpart Shinjiro Koizumi, focusing on regional security challenges and defense collaboration, according to the defence ministry.

Ahn took off from Incheon International Airport, located to the west of Seoul, heading to the Japanese port city of Yokosuka, home to the US 7th Fleet, to participate in the scheduled bilateral defence ministerial discussions on Friday.

“The defence leaders are anticipated to address the security landscape in the region along with bilateral defense cooperation,” stated ministry spokesperson Chung Binna during a routine press briefing, as reported by Yonhap News Agency.

Chung also mentioned that both nations aim to enhance their defense collaboration, including information exchange for humanitarian purposes. This follows the recent refueling of the South Korean Air Force's aerobatic flight team at Japan's Naha air base.

On Wednesday, the Black Eagles team made a stop in Okinawa after departing from a base in Wonju, approximately 140 kilometers east of Seoul, to refuel and engage in an exchange event with Japan's aerial display team.

This was the first instance where Japan's air self-defense forces provided refueling assistance to South Korean Air Force aircraft.

However, Chung seem to downplay the possibility of establishing a mutual logistics support agreement with Japan during this trip, stating that logistics or military cooperation is not on the agenda for the ministerial discussions. Japan has shown interest in such a pact with Seoul.

During their meeting, Koizumi is projected to bolster personal relations with Ahn Gyu Back, underscoring the importance of joint efforts to confront threats posed by North Korea's missile and nuclear programs, alongside other challenges. The meeting is scheduled to occur at the Yokosuka base of Japan's Maritime Self-Defence Force, as reported by Kyodo News.

Earlier, on Tuesday, the Japanese government lodged a strong protest following the launch of two ballistic missiles by North Korea towards the Sea of Japan. Japan's Defence Ministry indicated that one missile ascended to an altitude of approximately 80 kilometers and traveled around 350 kilometers.

According to South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff, the military detected the missiles being launched from a region in northern Pyongyang around 3:50 PM (local time) on Tuesday. A Japanese government official noted that the missiles appeared to have fallen outside Japan's Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), as reported by Kyodo News.

Japan condemned North Korea for the missile launch, and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi instructed relevant officials to gather information and ensure the safety of vessels and aircraft. So far, there have been no reports of damage from the missile launch.