SEOUL: South Korea and Japan will collaborate on the development and operation of regional satellite navigation systems in East Asia, Seoul's science ministry said on Tuesday.

According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, the two countries signed a memorandum of cooperation (MOC), designed for practical cooperation in developing and operating their respective satellite systems in the region, Yonhap news agency reported.

In the first technical working group meeting in Seoul, they discussed the progress of the Korean Positioning System (KPS) and Japan's Quasi-Zenith Satellite System (QZSS), along with measures to better allow the two systems to coexist and interoperate.

South Korea has been pushing to develop the KPS since 2022, while Japan has been developing the QZSS since 2003 and is currently operating four satellites. The ministry said it also plans to initiate cooperation with other countries with satellite navigation systems, including European nations and India, the report said.