The defense ministers of South Korea and Germany will hold meeting on closer bilateral defense ties in Seoul on Friday, the South Korean Defense Ministry said.

According to Kim Jung-sup, director of South Korean Defense Ministry's international defense policy division, German Defense minister Franz Josef Jung will discuss with his South Korean counterpart Kim Jang-soo on Friday afternoon on issues including the sale of second-hand Patriot missiles to South Korea and regional security.

The two sides will also talk about their cooperation in Afghanistan and Lebanon as both sides dispatched troops in Afghanistan and plan to send troops to Lebanon, the officer said.

It will be the first time for a German defense chief to visit South Korea in 14 years.

South Korea aims to replace its aging ground-to-air Nike missiles, introduced 40 years ago, with 48 Patriot missiles from Germany starting next year, South Korea's Yonhap News Agency reported.

South Korea deploys a contingent of soldiers in Afghanistan since 2002 and is to send troops to Lebanon in June.

Source: Xinhua