On June 7, 2026, South Korea's Digital Times reported that 'the Republic of Korea Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force resumed search and rescue exercises after approximately 9 years.'

According to the article, during the Moon Jae-in administration, issues such as low-altitude flights by JMSDF patrol aircraft and the radar lock-on incident by a Republic of Korea Navy destroyer overlapped, leading to a deterioration of Japan-ROK relations and the suspension of the exercises. Some also view this resumption as a sign of improving relations.

On the 7th, the Republic of Korea Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force conducted a joint search and rescue exercise in international waters southeast of Jeju Island. The ROK Navy's 4,900-ton class next-generation landing ship (LST-2) second vessel, the "Cheonjabong," and the JMSDF's 7,250-ton class Aegis destroyer "Kongo" and patrol helicopter "SH-60K" participated. The exercise included firefighting activities by the "Cheonjabong" and "Kongo," simulating a distressed ship fire, and JMSDF helicopter take-off and landing drills on the "Cheonjabong."

According to the article, the Japan-ROK humanitarian search and rescue exercises were designed to confirm joint response procedures, assuming ship distress in the waters near the Korean Peninsula, and had been conducted biannually for a total of 10 times from 1999 to 2017. However, against the backdrop of Japan's refusal to comply with a request to refrain from hoisting the Rising Sun Flag at an international fleet review held in South Korea in November 2018, and the patrol aircraft issue, defense cooperation effectively ceased, and these exercises were also suspended. The last time they were held was in December 2017.

Subsequently, the Yoon Suk-yeol administration dispatched a ROK Navy vessel to an international fleet review hosted by Japan in November 2022, and in May 2023, allowed JMSDF vessels displaying the Rising Sun Flag to enter Busan Port during a multinational maritime exercise hosted by South Korea, thus promoting improved relations.

This trend has continued even after the inauguration of the Lee Jae-myung administration, and at the defense ministerial meeting in January this year, an agreement was reached on rebuilding defense exchanges and cooperation, and resuming search and rescue exercises.

In response to this article, South Korean netizens posted comments such as, "The international community should naturally cooperate where it can," "Does this mean there are no borders in rescue?" "It shows how much the Moon Jae-in administration worsened Japan-ROK relations," "It was truly the worst administration in South Korean history," and "Did they allow the Rising Sun Flag to be hoisted?"