Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back said Sunday that South Korea discussed a Japan-proposed bilateral military logistics support pact at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore, while maintaining reservations on the matter.
Ahn made the remarks to reporters a day after bilateral talks with Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi. He declined to provide further details but said the issue requires understanding and persuasion from the peoples of both countries, so caution remains necessary.
Ahn described U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's comments on the wartime operational control transfer as a positive assessment of South Korea's readiness and capabilities. He said the secretary called for aligning efforts to move the process forward.
During the forum, Ahn met U.S. lawmakers to seek bipartisan support for South Korea's nuclear-powered submarine program and the OPCON transfer. Seoul and Washington are set to launch bilateral negotiations on the program and nuclear energy cooperation early this week.
