Tokyo | Defence Minister Richard Marles will meet his South Korean counterpart in Seoul next week for talks on how to bolster military co-operation as part of the Albanese government’s push to shore up regional security alliances to address growing concern about China.

Mr Marles is also expected to use the visit to explain scaled-back defence contracts for South Korean companies under the government’s Defence Strategic Review (DSR), which experts have warned could undermine Labor’s efforts to strengthen security ties with Seoul.