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| ▲ Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup (R) shakes hands with his Australian counterpart, Richard Marles, as they meet in Seoul on May 30, 2023, in this photo provided by Seoul's defense ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap) |
S Korea-Australia-defense talks
Defense chiefs of S. Korea, Australia agree to boost security ties
SEOUL, May 30 (Yonhap) -- The defense chiefs of South Korea and Australia held talks Tuesday, and agreed to bolster bilateral defense ties and other security-related issues, officials said.
Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup met with his Australian counterpart, Richard Marles, as the Australian minister was in Seoul to attend the Korea-Pacific Islands Summit on Monday. Marles doubles as Australia's deputy prime minister.
During the meeting, the two ministers agreed to further enhance cooperative defense ties, while sharing the view that the two countries are key partners that share values in the Indo-Pacific region, according to Lee's ministry.
They also concurred on the need to revise a bilateral defense cooperation pact signed in 2011 in consideration of deepening ties and agreed to hold necessary working-level talks, it added.
Marles noted he was able to confirm Seoul's willingness to expand its role in the Indo-Pacific region through the Pacific islands gathering, according to the ministry.
Meanwhile, Lee voiced Seoul's willingness to participate for the first time in the multinational Indo-Pacific Endeavor exercise led by Australia as well as in the country's Operation Render Safe that aims to dispose of underwater explosives in the Pacific region.
The two sides agreed to meet again by the end of this year, the ministry said.
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