Top S. Korean, Australian military officials hold talks on security cooperation

▲ South Korea's Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo (R) holds video talks with his Australian counterpart, Adm. David Johnston, at his office in central Seoul on Aug. 1, 2024, in this photo provided by Kim's office. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

S Korea-Australia-military talks

Top S. Korean, Australian military officials hold talks on security cooperation

SEOUL, Aug. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's top military officer held video talks with his new Australian counterpart Thursday to discuss ways to enhance bilateral security cooperation, the Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) said.

JCS Chairman Adm. Kim Myung-soo and Adm. David Johnston, Australia's new chief of the defense force, assessed the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and in the region, and discussed ways for military cooperation, according to the JCS.

The two sides agreed on the need to expand combined exercises and personnel exchanges, noting their bilateral ties as "comprehensive strategic partners" and as countries that pursue a "rules-based security order," it said.

Kim also thanked Johnston for Australia's participation in operations to monitor North Korea's violations of U.N. Security Council resolutions in the South China Sea and the East China Sea, such as illegal ship-to-ship transfers of goods.

The talks took place at Australia's request as part of the country's efforts to strengthen cooperation with partners in the Indo-Pacific region, according to the JCS.

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