S.Korea invites DPRK to Seoul-hosted regional security forum

South Korea's Defense Ministry said Friday that it has invited the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to a Seoul-hosted regional security forum scheduled for September.

The ministry sent the invitation under the name of Vice Defense Minister Baek Seung-joo to his DPRK counterpart at about 10:25 a.m. (0125 GMT) through the western military hotline, a ministry official said by phone.

It marked the first time that South Korea has asked the DPRK to participate in the Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD), a vice ministerial-level regional security forum launched in 2012 by Seoul to discuss ways of building military trust in the Asia- Pacific region.

During this year's forum, the participants will discuss various issues on security and peace in the region and the world, according to the invitation.

This year's forum, the fourth of this kind, is scheduled to be held in the capital Seoul for three days from Sept. 9. The third round was held in Seoul last October.

About 250 military officials from 32 countries and four international agencies are expected to join the forum this year, according to the ministry.