Top military officers of S. Korea, India discuss expanding military exchanges by phone

Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung, left, speaks with his Indian counterpart Gen. Raja Subramani via phone, Tuesday. Courtesy of Joint Chiefs of Staff

Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) Chairman Gen. Jin Yong-sung on Tuesday held a phone call with his new Indian counterpart and discussed ways to expand bilateral military exchanges, officials said.

Jin held his first phone call with Gen. Raja Subramani, the Indian chief of defense staff, to discuss the security situation on the Korean Peninsula and in the region, according to the JCS.

During the talks, Jin congratulated Subramani on his inauguration as India's top defense chief and expressed gratitude for India's role in the 1950-53 Korean War. India dispatched medical units to help support South Korea during the three-year conflict.

The JCS chief voiced hope to further promote military exchanges between the two nations.

The two officers also concurred on the importance of international cooperation at a time of heightened regional security uncertainty, including North Korea's advancing nuclear and missile threats.