The Navy hosted an international security forum on Tuesday, with hundreds of experts and naval officers exploring ways to boost maritime cooperation in Asia and beyond.

Around 300 government and military officials and experts from more than 25 countries gathered at the 14th International Seapower Symposium to discuss the theme of "Enhancing maritime security cooperation for peace and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific."

During the two sessions, the participants will assess the evolving maritime security environment in the region and exchange opinions on ways to jointly meet those challenges, according to the Navy.

"In the face of conflicting interests, countries in the region are fiercely competing against each other to guarantee their maritime sovereignty and rights," Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Sim Seung-seob said in his opening remarks.

Stressing the South Korean Navy's efforts to build peace on the Korean Peninsula by maintaining a watertight posture against multiple threats and seeking close ties with other countries, Sim called for enhanced multilateral security cooperation to overcome the current challenges that a single nation cannot deal with.

The symposium was launched in 1989 and has been held biennially since. (Yonhap)