Defense minister Shin Won-sik on Thursday met with General Christopher Cavoli, the head of NATO's Allied Command Operations (ACO), at the defense ministry in Seoul. 

The ministry said the two officials shared views on ways to boost bilateral cooperation and on the security situation on the Korean Peninsula. 

Shin requested for NATO’s interest and support in deterring North Korea’s provocations as he described the security situation on the peninsula as being serious due to the North’s continuous provocations. 

The duo highly assessed South Korea and NATO’s efforts to strengthen cooperation in various areas, including military exercises and cyber security, and agreed to continuously boost defense cooperation. 

Shin vowed to implement ways to expand such cooperation in line with the South Korea-NATO Individually Tailored Partnership Program(ITPP) adopted last July. 

The program consists of new ways to pursue bilateral cooperation in eleven areas, including anti-terrorism, disarmament and nonproliferation, cyber security, climate change and emerging technologies.

Cavoli, who is the first NATO ACO chief to visit South Korea, underlined the importance of bilateral cooperation in the area of defense and vowed to work closely with South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff.