≡ S. Korea Seeks To Hold Defense Talks With Japan, China
South Korea is working to set up bilateral defense talks with Japan and China on the sidelines of the annual Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore later this month.
Defense ministry officials said discussions are under way to organize one-on-one meetings between Defense Minister Jeong Kyeong-doo and his counterparts.
Amid stalled denuclearization talks between North Korea and the U.S. and the North's recent weapons tests, there have been growing calls for cooperation among the countries.
Seoul's defense ties with Tokyo and Beijing have been strained due to frictions over a radar row and a U.S. missile defense system, respectively, on top of other political and historic issues.
According to Japanese media, Japanese Defense Minister Takeshi Iwaya expressed over the weekend his intent to improve relations with Seoul and meet with defense chief Jeong over North Korea issues.■[2019.05.21]