South Korean and Russian officials will hold talks later this week to discuss expanding bilateral defense exchanges, the defense ministry said Monday.

Lim Kwan-bin, the deputy defense minister for policy, will leave for Russia on Thursday for the defense strategic talks with Anatoly Antonov, the deputy defense minister responsible for international military cooperation.

The high-level talks will center on regional security, including the situation on the Korean peninsula, and ways to bolster military personnel exchanges and defense cooperation between the two countries.

The two countries are seeking to turn the strategic dialogue into a regular event, according to the ministry.