Japanese, S. Korean Defense Officials to Meet on Oct. 29

Seoul, Oct. 13 (Jiji Press)--South Korean Vice Defense Minister Baek Seung-joo and Hideshi Tokuchi, Japanese vice defense minister for international affairs, will hold talks in Seoul on Oct. 29, a South Korean defense official said Monday. The talks will take place on the sidelines of a meeting of defense officials from the Asia-Pacific region. Baek and Tokuchi are expected to discuss North Korea's nuclear and missile programs and Japan's decision to lift its self-imposed ban on collective defense. The Japanese side is expected to call for an early conclusion of a bilateral agreement on military information security. Baek and Japanese Vice Defense Minister Masanori Nishi held talks on the sidelines of a similar defense meeting in Seoul last year. END