The South Korean defense ministry is hosting a three-day defense dialogue in the capital Seoul. This comes as military leaders from 33 countries gather to discuss tension on the Korean Peninsula.
South Korea has increased its defense budget for next year by four percent. It aims to beef up missile defense capabilities to counter growing nuclear and missile threats from the DPRK. The government has allocated a total of over 40.3 trillion won -- or 36.5 billion US dollars -- to bolstering the country's defense capabilities next year.