Korea said Sunday it will host a regional disaster relief drill with Thailand in the Southeast Asian state next year.

South Korea will announce the plan at an ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) session in Phnom Penh Thursday, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The drill will be the third of its kind participated in by the 27 member countries of the ARF to prepare for earthquakes, tsunamis and other natural disasters.

The United States and the Philippines jointly hosted the first such drill in the Philippines in 2009 with the participation of the military and civilian assets by the ARF members.

Japan and Indonesia jointly hosted the second drill in the Southeast Asian island state last year.

"We are closely cooperating with the Thai government for the successful hosting of the Third ARF Disaster Relief Drill," a ministry spokesman said. "We are preparing the drill in cooperation with the Defense Ministry, the National Emergency Management Agency and other relevant authorities." (Yonhap)