South Korea to discuss North Korea in security forum in Singapore

South Korean Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin will meet defense chiefs from the United States, Japan and other regional players at a security forum in Singapore to discuss North Korea and other issues, his office said Thursday. The Asia Security Summit, also called the Shangri-La Dialogue, will be held for three days from Friday, with attendance of defense chiefs, military leaders and security experts from 27 nations in Asia-Pacific region and Europe, according to South Korea's (Yonhap) News Agency. The security forum will address pressing geopolitical challenges in the Asia-Pacific, including North Korea's nuclear and missile program, ongoing tension over the South China Sea and territorial disputes between China and Japan. On the sidelines of the security forum, Kim will have a bilateral meeting with US defense chief Chuck Hagel to discuss tensions on the Korean Peninsula in the wake of North Korea's recent provocations and threats, his office said. The two will meet in person for the first time since Hagel's inauguration in late February. The allies will also have a trilateral meeting with their Japanese counterpart Itsunori Onodera to discuss ways to step up cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region, the ministry said. During the forum, Kim will separately have meetings with representatives of Australia, Germany, Indonesia and Mongolia to expand defense ties between the nations.