The 12th Asia Security Summit will open in Singapore for three days on Friday.

Defense Minister Kim Kwan-jin will open a series of bilateral meetings with his German counterpart Minister Thomas de Maiziére on Friday afternoon. He will also meet U.S. Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel on Saturday on the sidelines of the security forum.

A trilateral meeting among the defense chiefs of South Korea, the U.S. and Japan is also scheduled to take place during the summit.

During the trilateral meeting, Kim will likely evaluate the situation on the Korean Peninsula, including North Korea’s military threats and ways to boost military cooperation.

Also known as the Shangri-La Dialogue, the annual Asia Security Summit is hosted by British independent think tank the International Institute for Strategic Studies. It is attended by top military leaders from 27 countries in the Asia-Pacific and Europe, including South Korea, the U.S., China, Germany and members of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The gathering has been held every year since 2002.