South Korean Defense Minister Song Young-moo will hold a series of bilateral meetings with chief foreign delegates at the Seoul air show this week, his ministry said Tuesday.

The biennial Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition opened at Seoul Air Base earlier in the day, drawing 405 companies from 33 countries.

Dozens of government delegates are here to attend the weeklong event.

Song is scheduled to have bilateral talks with ministerial and vice minister-level officials from various countries including India and Egypt, said the ministry of National Defense.

He plans to use the occasion to emphasize the importance of international cooperation on North Korea through military and defense industry partnerships, it said.

The Seoul ADEX offers a good opportunity for such discussions as it comes at a time when international coordination on North Korea has taken on new urgency amid its growing threats, the ministry noted.

Song will also voice hope that ADEX will contribute to building closer "trust-based" international ties in the defense industry.

The government has campaigned to fight against corruption related to arms development and trade. It's striving to increase arms exports, a potential growth engine of one of Asia's major economies.

ADEX features static displays of many high-profile weapon systems and flight demonstrations of several advanced aircraft.

It's expected to attract around 250,000 visitors, according to organizers. (Yonhap)