South Korean and Japanese defense ministers met for the first time in a decade following heightened geopolitical tensions in the region. Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani is attending the 2025 Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD) taking place Monday to Wednesday this week. During his visit he will meet with South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back, and visit the Seoul National Cemetery and South Korean Navy’s 2nd fleet according to South Korea’s Defense Ministry.

The meeting comes on the heels of China’s military WWII commemoration parade, notably attended by North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un and Russian President Vladimir Putin, accompanying Chinese President Xi Jinping. The visit was seen as a media win for North Korea, marking its first major multilateral diplomatic appearance, and a sign of rising tensions in the area for the two U.S.-allied countries.

Ahn and Nakatani’s meeting also follows one between South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba last month, where both countries pledged to pursue closer economic and defense ties. However, this may be complicated by Ishiba’s resignation in July, which is predicted to begin a period of instability in Japanese politics.