The foreign policy chief of the European Union (EU) said that he will upgrade cooperation on security and defense between the EU and South Korea during his visit to Seoul.

Josep Borrell, the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, made the remarks in a post on social network early on Sunday.

Borrel wrote that over the past years, South Korea and the EU have become even closer partners, making significant progress with the digital, green and health partnerships, adding he is in Seoul to "take the bilateral cooperation on security and defense to the next level."

Borrel and Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul are set to co-chair on Monday the inaugural South Korea-EU Strategic Dialogue, which was established after a bilateral summit in May last year.

There are speculations that South Korea and the EU may adopt a partnership on security and defense during Borrel's trip to Seoul.

The two sides are also expected to discuss cooperation in response to North Korea's troop dispatch to Russia.