IANS | 29 Apr, 2024
South Korean Foreign and Defence Ministers met Australian Prime
Minister Anthony Albanese in Canberra on Monday to discuss ways to
expand cooperation in regional security and the defence industry.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul and Defence Minister
Shin Won-sik held a meeting with Albanese and Australian Foreign
Minister Penny Wong to exchange opinions on Indo-Pacific strategic
cooperation, the military and defence industry, and North Korean issues,
Yonhap news agency reported.
The meeting took place ahead of the
Korean ministers' "two plus two" talks with Wong and Defence Minister
Richard Marles, slated for Wednesday, their Ministries said.
The
Ministers vowed to further advance the "comprehensive strategic
partnership" and bolster defence ties. After the meeting, Albanese
emphasised the importance of continuing to develop bilateral relations
for regional security.
"South Korea is a crucial regional partner
for Australia. Our two countries are working together towards an open,
stable, and prosperous region," Albanese wrote on X.
Earlier in the day, Cho paid tribute at the Australian National Korean War Memorial in Canberra.
Australia
was among the 22 countries that sent troops and gave medical aid to
South Korea under the UN flag during the 1950-53 Korean War, which ended
in a ceasefire, not a peace treaty.
Canberra dispatched a total
of 17,164 service members during the war, and 340 of them were killed in
action, according to South Korean data.
