S. Korea, Greece hold defense talks, vow to strengthen cooperation

The vice defense ministers of South Korea and Greece held a meeting Friday and agreed to enhance bilateral defense cooperation, Seoul's defense ministry said.

Greece's vice defense chief, Alkiviadis Stefanis, is in South Korea at the invitation of Seoul's Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs (MPVA) to mark the 70th anniversary of the 1950-53 Korean War.

During the talks held in Seoul, Vice Defense Minister Park Jae-min and Stefanis "vowed to make efforts to beef up defense cooperation in diverse fields, such as defense industries," the ministry said in a statement.

The Greek official said that his country will support South Korea against any threats to peace and democracy on the Korean Peninsula. He also expressed gratitude for the Seoul government's provision of face masks in May to Greek Korean War veterans, according to the ministry.

Park thanked Stefanis for visiting despite the COVID-19 situation, and promised to never forget the sacrifice of Greek troops during the Korean War.

The South Korean vice minister also promised the government's support for the planned project of moving the monument to commemorate the Greece's Korean War participation to a park in the central city of Yeoju, Gyeonggi Province. The monument is currently at a highway service area in the city, and the relocation is scheduled to take place in 2021.

Greece sent a total of 10,581 troops to South Korea. Of them, 192 were killed and 543 wounded, according to government data. (Yonhap)