Military chiefs of S. Korea, Japan to discuss closer ties

SEOUL, Feb. 5 (Yonhap) -- Japan's top military officer will visit Seoul over the
weekend for discussions with his South Korean counterpart on ways to secure peace
on the peninsula and successfully deal with the North Korea nuclear issue,
military officials here said Friday.
Gen. Ryoichi Oriki, chairman of Japan's Joint Chiefs of Staff, will fly to Seoul
on Sunday, meeting his South Korean counterpart Gen. Lee Sang-eui for discussions
on military exchanges and cooperation between the two neighboring states, Seoul's
Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a press release.
Seoul and Tokyo are both members of the multinational negotiations aimed at
ending Pyongyang's nuclear ambitions and are key states in preserving peace in
Northeast Asia.
It is the first visit to South Korea by the Japanese top military officer since
he took up the post in March last year.
Gen. Lee will also request Japan's cooperation as Seoul hosts the Chiefs of
Defense Conference, attended by top defense officials in the Asia-Pacific region,
in October, the release said.
During his four-day visit through Feb. 10, Oriki will also visit South Korean
military camps and the joint security area near the Demilitarized Zone dividing
the two Koreas.
hayney@yna.co.kr
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