Defense Minister Suh Wook speaks during a virtual meeting of top military commanders held Jan 10. (Yonhap)

South Korea's Defense Minister Suh Wook plans to meet his United Arab Emirates (UAE) counterpart later this week to discuss defense cooperation, his ministry said Wednesday.

Suh will meet Mohammad Ahmed Al Bowardi, the UAE's minister of state for defense, Friday during his three-day visit to South Korea, the ministry said.

The two ministers also plan to visit the Korea Aerospace Industries, South Korea's sole aircraft manufacturer, in Sacheon, 440 kilometers south of Seoul, as part of efforts to expand arms industry cooperation between Seoul and Abu Dhabi.

"The talks are expected to contribute to solidifying the mutually beneficial relationship with the defense authorities of the UAE, now South Korea's key cooperation partner in the Middle East," the ministry said in a press release.

The two countries have held annual defense ministerial talks since 2011. Suh visited the UAE last year. (Yonhap)