South Korean Defense Minister Suh Wook held in-person talks with his United Arab Emirates counterpart on Tuesday to discuss ways to boost the nations' defense and arms industry ties, the defense ministry here said.

Suh met with Mohammad Ahmed Al Bowardi, the UAE's minister of State for Defense, and other senior UAE military officials during his visit to the Middle Eastern nation, as part of efforts to improve bilateral cooperation in a wide range of defense-related areas, the ministry said.

During his four-day visit, Suh plans to visit South Korea's Akh Unit dispatched to the Middle Eastern country, as the unit celebrates the 10th anniversary of its service there.

The Akh Unit has carried out missions to train UAE troops and protect Korean nationals there in emergencies since 2011.

On Thursday, Suh will fly to India for a three-day visit to meet his Indian counterpart, Rajnath Singh. (Yonhap)