Japanese defence minister Shinjiro Koizumi and his South Korean counterpart Ahn Gyu-back held talks in Yokosuka, Japan, and agreed to conduct joint naval search-and-rescue drills, it said in a statement.

The two Asian allies of the US have in recent months drawn closer in political ties under new leaders, as they looked to put behind years of frosty relations rooted in Japan’s occupation of the Korean peninsula in the early 20th century.

Ahn and Koizumi discussed working together to ensure peace and stability in the region amid the challenges of the global security environment and continuing defence cooperation with the US, the ministry said.

The meeting follows talks they held in September in South Korea.

Earlier, South Korea’s Yonhap News Agency reported Koizumi told Ahn defence cooperation between the two countries, and with the US, was more important than ever.