Text Fwd [Korea MND news] Asia-Pacific defense chiefs meeting to be held [국방부 뉴스] 아시아 태평양 국방 장관들, 10월 18일 부터 5일간 모임

Korea MND News No. 660
Asia-Pacific defense chiefs meeting to be held
Oct. 14, 2010

The 13th annual Chiefs Of Defense(CHOD) meeting of high-ranking officers in Asia-Pacific region is slated to be held for five days from Oct. 18 at Grand Hyatt Seoul Hotel in central Seoul.

At the meeting, co-hosted by the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Korea and the U.S. Pacific Command, defense chiefs or other high-ranking defense officials from 27 different countries in the region, including, Japan, Russia and India, are scheduled to participate.

"The event is likely have the largest number of military chiefs in the history of the meeting," said a senior official of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul. "We expect to create synergy effect of realizing national interest through multilateral military diplomacy as well as boost Korean military status."

On the first day of the event, a welcoming ceremony will take place. The actual meeting is scheduled to get underway the following day beginning with Korean Defense Minister Kim Tae-young's keynote address. Five regular session will be held along with many bilateral and multilateral talks. Gen. Han Min-koo, chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff in Seoul, is planning to perform military diplomacy by focusing on strengthening mutual cooperation and military exchanges in security matter in the region.

Under the main subject of the event, "Common Challenge and Strategic Measures in Asia-Pacific region," participants are going to exchange ideas in four minor subjects, including civil-military cooperation in peacetime operation, green growth and military's role and international cooperation in maritime security.

Since the event is being held in Korea for the first time, Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff is going to take this opportunity to introduce security environment and issues surrounding Korean Peninsula as well as Korean position. JCS is also has prepared to publicize defense industry by organizing field trip to major defense firms and front lines.

The meeting, which began in 1998 organized by the U.S. Pacific Command, is an international event that aims to develop cooperative military relations among countries in Asia-Pacific region by building human network.