South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back (left) shakes hands with Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh at the Defense Ministry headquarters in Seoul on Wednesday. (Defense Ministry) South Korean and Indian defense chiefs held talks in Seoul on Wednesday to discuss bilateral defense and arms industry cooperation, Seoul’s Defense Ministry said.Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh met with South Korean Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back in Seoul, marking the first visit to South Korea by an Indian defense minister since 2019.The meeting at the Defense Ministry came after Ahn invited Singh on the sidelines of the 12th ASEAN Defense Ministers’ Meeting-Plus last year.The two ministers agreed to expand defense and defense industry cooperation in line with the countries’ “special strategic partnership” and the “joint strategic vision” announced during President Lee Jae Myung’s state visit to India in April.They agreed on the need to promote regular consultations and broaden cooperation, while positively assessing past defense industry cooperation, including the K9 self-propelled howitzer project.Following the talks, the two sides signed agreements in areas including defense cyber cooperation, UN peacekeeping operations and cooperation between the two countries’ national defense universities.Ahn also explained Seoul’s efforts to restore trust between the two Koreas and resume dialogue with North Korea for peaceful coexistence on the Korean Peninsula, asking for India’s continued support, the ministry said.Separately, Singh met with Lee Yong-cheol, head of South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration, at a hotel in central Seoul, to discuss expanding cooperation between the two countries in the defense industry.The meeting followed agreements reached during President Lee Jae Myung’s state visit to India in April, according to the DAPA.Both sides highlighted the K9 self-propelled howitzer project as a successful example of bilateral cooperation and agreed to seek broader collaboration in other weapons systems and future technologies.The two countries also discussed launching the Korea-India Defense Innovation & Accelerator Ecosystem, or KIND-X, a proposed platform aimed at connecting defense firms, startups and universities from both countries to promote cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence and unmanned aerial systems.On the sidelines of the meeting, South Korean defense firms Hanwha Aerospace and Hanwha Systems signed memorandums of understanding with Indian defense company Larsen & Toubro during a bilateral defense industry forum.Earlier in the day, Singh also visited Imjingak in Paju, Gyeonggi Province, where he attended the unveiling of a memorial honoring India’s participation in the 1950-53 Korean War.During the event, Singh and South Korean Patriots and Veterans Minister Kwon Oh-eul signed a memorandum of understanding on bilateral cooperation in veterans affairs and remembrance projects.Under the agreement, the two countries will cooperate on projects related to honoring war veterans, preserving historical records and promoting exchanges involving descendants of veterans and future generations, according to the ministry.India dispatched 627 medical personnel during the Korean War under the 60th Parachute Field Ambulance unit, making it the largest medical support contingent sent by a country during the conflict, the ministry said.