Defense Minister Suh Wook held talks with his British counterpart Ben Wallace in Seoul on Wednesday and discussed expanding exchanges and cooperation.

Calling South Korea a key partner in the region, Wallace expressed hope to boost bilateral exchanges and cooperation in the defense sector, noting that Britain is focusing more on the Indo-Pacific region following Brexit.

Minister Suh welcomed Britain's focus on Asia and agreed to pursue high-level exchanges and regular consultation channels between the two sides' militaries once the COVID-19 pandemic subsides.

Suh asked for the U.K.'s support for efforts to denuclearize and establish peace on the Korean Peninsula. In return, Wallace pledged the necessary assistance, according to Seoul's Defense Ministry.

In his opening remarks, the British official said the two countries' naval forces were closely sharing experiences in operating aircraft carriers, as Britain's HMS Queen Elizabeth is scheduled to make a port call in Busan in September.

Wallace said that after the port call, two offshore patrol vessels will be permanently deployed to the region.