Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul met with Japanese Ambassador Koichi Mizushima on Monday and agreed to expand cooperation in the defense sector. During the meeting in Seoul earlier in the day, Kang and Mizushima agreed on the need to continue to push for cooperation in defense exchanges in a "reciprocal" and "future-oriented" manner. The two also reaffirmed the importance of security cooperation among South Korea, the United States and Japan in the face of advancing North Korean nuclear and missile threats. During the talks, Kang urged the Japanese envoy to act as a firm "bridge" between the two countries for the development of bilateral relations.