Vice Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho vowed Thursday to strengthen defense cooperation with Australia, his office said, amid growing arms industry ties between the two countries. Kim made the remark during a bilateral defense conference in Canberra, which discussed key threats in the Indo-Pacific region and ways to bolster cooperation between the two countries' militaries and defense industries. South Korean defense companies, including shipbuilders Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries, also participated in the conference to feature their products. "Amid a grave global security environment, (the conference) presented an opportunity to further strengthen relations between South Korea and Australia," Kim said. "(We) will make further efforts to strengthen bilateral defense and arms industry cooperation." The two countries have bolstered defense ties in recent years, with Canberra signing major deals to purchase South Korean weapons systems, including the Redback infantry fighting vehicle and K9 howitzer s. South Korea has sought for closer security ties with Australia, with their top diplomats and defense chiefs discussing Seoul's potential participation in part of the AUKUS security partnership in May. The United States, Britain and Australia launched a security pact known as AUKUS in 2021 to counter China's assertiveness. Seoul has welcomed considerations of its possible inclusion in Pillar 2 of the partnership, which covers cooperation in advanced technologies. Source: Yonhap News Agency