The defense ministers of South Korea and Estonia held phone talks on Tuesday and discussed measures to contain the coronavirus pandemic, Seoul's defense ministry said.

The talks between South Korea's Jeong Kyeong-doo and Estonia's Jüri Luik took place "to continue their close defense ties amid this COVID-19 situation," according to the ministry.

Luik postponed his planned trip to Seoul in February, when South Korea began to report a dramatic increase in the number of confirmed cases of the novel virus.

They exchanged opinions on a wide range of defense industry issues and cyber security cooperation and agreed to further strengthen the two countries' defense relations, the ministry said.

The ministers also shared the anti-virus measures their governments have taken, according to the ministry.

"Expressing deep concerns over the fast spread of the coronavirus in Europe, the Estonian minister praised proactive responses and measures by the South Korean government and the military," the ministry said.

As of Tuesday, South Korea had 8,320 confirmed cases of the novel coronavirus, including 81 deaths, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Estonia had reported 225 virus patients as of Tuesday morning, according to the World Health Organization. (Yonhap)