Senior Minister of State for Defence Mr Heng Chee How Attends the 13th Seoul Defense Dialogue

Senior Minister of State for Defence Mr Heng Chee How is on a working visit to the Republic of Korea (ROK) to attend the 13th Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD) from 10 to 12 Sep 2024.

At the SDD, Mr Heng spoke at a plenary session on "Building a Free, Peaceful and Prosperous Asia-Pacific region", where he emphasised that "Constructive dialogue can strengthen trust and resolve misunderstandings before they lead to miscalculations. Sharing of information and know-how can build capability and enhance collective security." Mr Heng called for countries to maintain open and regular communication to build mutual trust and understanding, upon which common goals can be achieved. Mr Heng also highlighted the need to pre-empt fault lines in emerging and critical domains, such as cyber, space and artificial intelligence given the new challenges and risks. Lastly, he reiterated the need for inclusive practical cooperation for confidence building, so as to minimise misunderstandings and hostility in the region.

On the sidelines of the SDD, Mr Heng had bilateral calls with ROK Vice-Minister of National Defense Kim Seon-ho, where they reaffirmed the warm and friendly bilateral defence relations between Singapore and the ROK, and exchanged views on regional security developments. Mr Heng also met Japan State Minister of Defense Oniki Makoto and Türkiye Deputy Minister for National Defense Şuay Alpay.

Organised by the ROK Ministry of National Defense annually, the SDD is a Track 1.5 forum for government officials and experts to discuss security issues in the Asia-Pacific. The theme of this year's SDD is "International Cooperation Beyond Global Security Challenges".