S. Korea, Saudi Arabia in final-stages for large-scale defense cooperation

Oct 24, 2023, 09:51 am

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South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman walk toward the summit venue after a welcoming ceremony at Al Yamamah Palace in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Oct. 22, 2023. /Source: Yonhap News

AsiaToday reporter Hong Sun-mi

South Korea and Saudi Arabia are reportedly in the final stage of talks over large-scale defense industry cooperation with President Yoon Suk-yeol’s state visit to Saudi Arabia.

Amid growing demand and interest in the South Korean weapons system in Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia, expectations for an expansion of the export market are rising in the wake of Yoon’s state visit to the Middle East.

“Large-scale defense industry cooperation discussions are in the final stage, in various areas such as antiaircraft defense systems and firearms,” Principal Deputy National Security Adviser Kim Tae-hyo, who is accompanying Yoon on a four-day state visit to Saudi Arabia, said at a briefing in Riyadh on Sunday. Kim said the two sides are discussing collaborative programs that are not on-time events but long-term and systematic.

“The defense industry is emerging as a blue ocean in our cooperation with Saudi Arabia,” he said. “We intend to cooperate so that our weapons systems using our excellent defense industry technologies help strengthen Saudi Arabia’s defense capabilities, and this will serve as a strong force for further expanding our achievements in defense industry exports,” he said. “We will expand our defense export market with this trip to the Middle East as a catalyst.”

Yoon’s office, however, declined to comment on the details of the weapon system and the contract amount being discussed, citing the sensitivity of the matter. “I can’t reveal the details of the weapon system and the contract amount because there are threats that Saudi Arabia is putting up around it, and its neighboring countries can estimate what weapons systems Saudi Arabia buys now, and how many units it buys if it reveals how much,” an official said requesting anonymity, adding that Saudi Arabia is very sensitive about the matter.

Meanwhile, Kim said South Korea and Saudi Arabia decided to announce a joint statement containing the status and direction of cooperation covering economic, political, and international issues.

#Yoon Suk-yeol #South Korea #Saudi Arabia #defense