Suga, Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary, Says "Monitoring South Korean Troops' Response to Middle East Dispatch"... Suggests Possibility of South Korean Cooperation

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] Yoshihide Suga, Chief Cabinet Secretary of Japan, mentioned on the 22nd the possibility of cooperation between Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) dispatched to the Middle East and the South Korean military.

At a regular briefing that day, Secretary Suga said regarding the possibility of cooperation with the South Korean military dispatched to the Middle East, "While Japan independently responds, it is very important to cooperate and communicate with countries sharing the same objectives as necessary," adding, "We will closely watch the South Korean government's response."

Japan decided at the end of last year through the Cabinet meeting to dispatch MSDF escort ships and P-3C patrol aircraft to the Middle East.

The MSDF's P-3C began flight missions for intelligence gathering in the Gulf of Aden starting the day before.

The MSDF escort ship "Takanami," which will carry out missions in the Middle East alongside the patrol aircraft, is scheduled to set sail on the 2nd of next month and begin activities from late that month.

The MSDF dispatched to the Middle East will not participate in the U.S.-led International Maritime Security Construct (IMSC) for the defense of the Strait of Hormuz but plans to closely exchange information with the U.S. military on site.

The South Korean government announced the previous day that it decided to independently dispatch forces to the Strait of Hormuz by expanding the operational scope of the Cheonghae Unit deployed in the Gulf of Aden to ensure safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.