What defense cooperation did South Korea and Singapore agree to expand?

Kang Shin-chul and Chan Chun Sing agreed to expand cooperation in personnel exchanges, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. They also positively assessed efforts to broaden defense ties following the countries’ strategic partnership established after a leaders’ summit in November last year.

What changes are South Korea and Vietnam pursuing in their defense relationship?

Kang Shin-chul and Phan Van Giang agreed to hold their annual senior-level defense talks swiftly and to push for revising the defense cooperation memorandum concluded in 2010. They said the revision should better reflect the changing security landscape and the state of bilateral relations.

What North Korean security incidents did Kang Shin-chul raise with Singapore and Vietnam?

Kang said North Korea’s short-range ballistic missile launches toward the East Sea earlier that day threatened the Korean Peninsula and the region. He also sought international cooperation over a mine explosion south of the Military Demarcation Line, which injured three South Korean soldiers; North Korea denied responsibility.

S. Korean defense chief agrees to expand defense cooperation with Singapore, Vietnam

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Summary

South Korean Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul met his Singaporean and Vietnamese counterparts on the sidelines of an extended ASEAN defense ministers’ meeting in the Philippines on Thursday to discuss expanding defense cooperation. Kang and Singapore’s Chan Chun Sing agreed to broaden cooperation in personnel exchanges, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. Kang and Vietnam’s Phan Van Giang agreed to hold annual senior-level defense talks swiftly and pursue a revision of their 2010 defense cooperation memorandum. Kang also raised North Korean missile launches and a mine blast south of the Military Demarcation Line.

Key Facts

South Korea and Singapore established a strategic partnership during a summit between their leaders in November last year.
South Korea and Vietnam agreed to establish a comprehensive and strategic partnership in 2022, marking 30 years of diplomatic relations.
Kang said North Korea’s short-range ballistic missile launches toward the East Sea posed a security threat to the Korean Peninsula and the region.
The Sept. 21 mine blast injured three South Korean soldiers, two seriously, and Pyongyang denied responsibility.
Kang described the mine blast as a clear violation of the Armistice Agreement that suspended the 1950-53 Korean War.

By Yonhap

Published Oct 29, 2026 10:30 pm KST

Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul poses with Vietnamese Defense Minister Phan Van Giang during their meeting on the sidelines of the 13th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) in Cebu, the Philippines, Thursday. Courtesy of Ministry of National Defense

South Korean Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul on Thursday met with his Singaporean and Vietnamese counterparts to discuss ways to expand defense cooperation with the two countries, his ministry said.

Kang met with Singapore's Defense Minister Chan Chun Sing on the sidelines of an extended defense ministers' meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in the Philippines, according to the ministry.

During the talks, the two sides positively assessed their efforts to expand cooperation in the defense sector after the two countries forged a strategic partnership during summit talks between their leaders in November last year.

The ministers also agreed to expand cooperation in various areas, including personnel exchanges, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence (AI).

Kang also met separately with Vietnamese Defense Minister Phan Van Giang, with the two sides agreeing to swiftly hold their annual senior-level defense talks in a bid to accelerate cooperation in the defense sector.

They also vowed to push for a revision to a bilateral memorandum of understanding on defense cooperation concluded in 2010 to better reflect the changing security landscape and the state of their relations.

South Korea and Vietnam agreed to establish a comprehensive and strategic partnership in 2022 on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of their diplomatic relations.

During the back-to-back meetings, Kang explained that North Korea's latest launch of short-range ballistic missiles toward the East Sea earlier in the day posed a security threat to the Korean Peninsula and the region.

He also requested cooperation from the international community regarding the recent explosion caused by North Korean mines planted south of the Military Demarcation Line, saying it was a "clear violation" of the Armistice Agreement that suspended the 1950-53 Korean War.

The Sept. 21 mine blast injured three South Korean soldiers, two of them seriously, but Pyongyang has denied its responsibility.

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