MANILA — South Korean Defense Minister Kang Shin-chul and U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth will hold their first bilateral talks Wednesday in the Philippines, a day before the ASEAN Defense Ministers' Meeting Plus plenary in Cebu, according to a source familiar with the matter. The meeting marks the first sit-down between the two defense chiefs since Kang assumed office in September. Kang is scheduled to depart for Cebu on Tuesday to attend the high-level regional security dialogue and hold a series of bilateral meetings with counterparts from participating countries, South Korea's defense ministry said in a release.