High-ranking defense officials from 33 countries and five international organizations gathered Wednesday to discuss regional and international security issues, namely the ongoing challenges involving North Korea and maritime disputes involving the US, China and Japan.

The Seoul Defense Dialogue 2016, held from Sept.7-9, will kick off with a plenary session Thursday on the denuclearization of North Korea and international cooperation. 

During the session, the participants will assess the North Korean threat, UN Security Council resolution 2270 and other international cooperation efforts, as well as analyze how the Iranian nuclear deal could be applied to Pyongyang.

On the sidelines of the session, Defense Minister Han Min-koo is scheduled to hold a discussion Thursday with Ahmet Uzumcu, the chief of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapon, on North Korean threats such as its possible use of chemical weapons.

The plenary session Friday will be on maritime security cooperation, with panels discussing new crisis management measures for maritime issues such as the ongoing one in the South China Sea involving Washington, Beijing and Tokyo.

By Yoon Min-sik (minsikyoon@heraldcorp.com)