Senior defense officials from South Korea, the United States and Japan will hold annual trilateral talks this week to discuss ways to boost collaboration on responses to the coronavirus and other security issues, the defense ministry said Tuesday.

The 12th Defense Trilateral Talks (DTT), set for Wednesday, were scheduled to take place in Japan, but will instead be held online due to the coronavirus, according to the ministry.

On the table will be how to deepen trilateral collaboration to better deal with the COVID-19 situation and to achieve the denuclearization of North Korea and a lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula, the ministry said.  

Deputy Defense Minister Chung Suk-hwan will represent South Korea, and the US and Japan teams will be headed by David Helvey and Akihiro Tsuchimichi, respectively, it added.

Launched in 2008, the trilateral annual forum, which involves assistant deputy minister-level officials, is designed to serve as a venue to discuss major regional security issues, including North Korea's nuclear and missile programs. (Yonhap)