South Korea and the United States are discussing when and how to hold their defense ministers' annual meeting amid the coronavirus pandemic, the defense ministry said Thursday.

This year's annual ministerial defense talks between Seoul and Washington, named the Security Consultative Meeting (SCM), are supposed to take place around October in Washington.

"Consultations are under way to arrange the talks in consideration of the COVID-19 situation and other factors," Deputy Spokesperson Col. Moon Hong-sik said in a regular briefing.

The defense chiefs of the two countries last held a bilateral meeting by videoconference in July.

The upcoming meeting is expected to be the first time for South Korea's incoming Defense Minister Suh Wook to hold talks with US Defense Secretary Mark Esper.

Suh is scheduled to take office Friday to replace Jeong Kyeong-doo. (Yonhap)