Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul heads to the Philippines Tuesday to attend a regional defense ministers’ meeting, his first multilateral security gathering since taking office, the Ministry of National Defense said. Kang will take part in the 13th Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Defence Ministers’ Meeting-Plus (ADMM-Plus) on Thursday, the ministry said. The ADMM-Plus brings together defense ministers from the 11 ASEAN member states and eight of the bloc’s dialogue partners, including Korea, the United States and Japan. Launched in 2010, it serves as a platform for defense cooperation in the Asia-Pacific region. The Philippines, which holds the rotating ASEAN chair this year, is hosting the meeting in Lapu-Lapu City in the province of Cebu. At this year’s meeting, participants will assess the regional security environment and discuss ways to strengthen defense cooperation for peace and stability. During the main session, Kang will stress the need for international cooperation to maintain regional peace and propose practical measures to boost defense cooperation betwe