Republic of Korea (ROK) Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-Sup is in Singapore for an official visit and to attend the 19th Shangri-La Dialogue (SLD). Mr Lee called on Minister for Defence Dr Ng Eng Hen at the Shangri-La Hotel this evening.

During the meeting, both Ministers reaffirmed the warm and growing bilateral defence relations between Singapore and the ROK. They exchanged views on regional security developments and discussed ways to enhance bilateral and multilateral cooperation such as in Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosives (CBRNE) defence and in the ASEAN Defence Ministers' Meeting (ADMM)-Plus. This was underscored by the signing of an Enhanced Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Defence Cooperation. First signed by then-Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence Teo Chee Hean and then-ROK Minister of National Defense Kim Tae-Young in December 2009, the MOU served to formalise existing defence cooperation and provided a framework to broaden defence cooperation. The enhanced MOU furthers cooperation between both defence establishments to institutionalise defence dialogues and cooperation in maritime security, CBRNE, cybersecurity, military museum development and multilateral frameworks such as the ADMM-Plus.

The Ministers also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between So Drama! Entertainment (SDE)^[1] and the ROK's Defence Media Agency on Exchanges and Cooperation in the Field of Media Production and Technology. The Memorandum, signed by Deputy Secretary (Policy) Teo Eng Dih and Chief of the ROK Defense Media Agency Park Chang-Shik, enhances cooperation between both defence media agencies in defence content production, media technology, and industry partnerships.

Mr Lee is in Singapore with a delegation of senior ROK officials for the 19th SLD. Mr Lee will speak at a plenary session titled "Common Challenges for Asia-Pacific and European Defence" on 12 June 2022.