Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back is expected to visit Japan next week for talks with his Japanese counterpart, Shinjiro Koizumi, sources said Wednesday, with the resumption of military cooperation seen as a major agenda item. The two countries are in the final stages of arranging Ahn's possible three-day trip to Japan from Jan. 29-31 for talks with Japanese Defense Minister Koizumi, according to government sources. Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun has also reported on the possible bilateral meeting, mentioning the Japanese city of Yokosuka near Tokyo — where the U.S. 7th Fleet is based — as a strong candidate for the venue for the talks. The envisioned meeting comes after President Lee Jae Myung and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi met in Takaichi's hometown of Nara earlier this month and discussed ways to deepen their bilateral ties. The Japanese newspaper said Ahn and Koizumi also held phone talks last month where they apparently agreed to push to improve defense ties, which have been largely stalled following an Air Force refueling incident in November. South Korean fighter jets taking p