Overview
- The two navies conducted a joint search-and-rescue exercise on Sunday, marking the first SAREX since 2017.
- South Korea deployed the 4,900-ton landing ship ROKS Cheon Ja Bong while Japan sent the Aegis destroyer JS Kongo and an SH-60K maritime helicopter for helicopter, firefighting and medical rescue drills.
- Official accounts differ on the exact drill area, with South Korean sources saying international waters southeast of Jeju Island and Japanese sources citing waters west of the Goto Islands.
- The biennial SAREX series began in 1999 and was suspended after 2017 amid a string of diplomatic and military disputes, including a 2018 incident involving radar and low-altitude flight claims.
- Defense ministers agreed in January to revive the exercise and officials say the resumed drills could improve practical at-sea coordination and restore regular military contacts between the neighbors.