Senior defense ministry officials of South Korea and other Southeast Asian countries will gather in Seoul this week to discuss cooperation on regional security amid stepped-up tensions following North Korea's recent nuclear test.
South Korea's Vice Defense Minister Suh Choo-suk will hold a meeting Wednesday with his counterparts from the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations, according to the ministry.
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South Korea`s Vice Defense Minister Suh Choo-suk. (Yonhap) |
They are expected to discuss issues related to regional peace and stability, the ministry said.
The ministry proposed the meeting in order to build a close cooperative framework with ASEAN, which plays an increasingly important role in regional security.
It will be held on the sidelines of the Seoul Defense Dialogue that will kick off on Wednesday and run for three days, the ministry said.
The gathering comes amid rising tensions following the North's sixth nuclear test, which it conducted Sunday. Pyongyang claimed it successfully tested a hydrogen bomb that can be fitted onto an intercontinental ballistic missile. (Yonhap)
