Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back met with his Philippine and Norwegian counterparts in Singapore on Saturday to discuss expanding defense and defense industry cooperation.
The talks took place on the sidelines of the Asia Security Summit, also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, in Singapore. Ahn met Philippine Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro and agreed to identify areas of potential cooperation based on exchanges between their defense authorities. He also highlighted Seoul's willingness to help strengthen the Philippines' security capabilities and urged attention to South Korean defense firms involved in the country's military modernization.
In his meeting with Norwegian Defense Minister Tore Sandvik, the two sides agreed to advance their partnership, noting Hanwha Aerospace's contract earlier this year to supply the Chunmoo multiple rocket launcher system to Norway. Ahn called for support for Seoul's peace efforts toward North Korea, citing the North's growing nuclear and missile threats and its alignment with Russia.
Ahn also held a one-on-one meeting with Dutch Defense Minister Dilan Yesilgoz-Zegerius. The ministers agreed to develop their defense partnership in areas such as maritime security, defense science and technology, and military artificial intelligence.
