Defense minister to join Asia Security Summit

By Lee Tae-hoon

Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin will fly to Singapore this Friday to attend an annual regional security forum of defense ministers, defense officials said Thursday.

They said Kim will take part in bilateral talks with his counterparts from China, Japan, Australia and Singapore on the sidelines of the 10th International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) Asian Security Summit, also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue.

Defense Ministry spokesman Kim Min-seok said no bilateral meeting with U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates was arranged due to time constraints.

He said Kim will deliver a keynote speech on the theme of “East Asia's new distribution of power and its implications” during the two-day security forum.

The agenda for the 10th Shangri-La Dialogue will include emerging security challenges for Asia-Pacific, new military doctrines and capabilities in Asia, and maritime security threats.

Delegates from 27 countries are expected to attend the forum, which was launched in 2002 in response to the growing need for security cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region.

It has become one of the most important and most inclusive regular gatherings of top level defense professionals in the region.

The event is organized by the London-based think tank, IISS.