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Kang Hoon-sik, appointed as presidential special envoy for strategic economic cooperation, speaks briefly with reporters at Incheon International Airport on Nov. 13 before departing for Abu Dhabi, UAE. / Source: Yonhap News

Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik, serving as South Korea’s “special envoy for strategic economic cooperation,” departed Thursday for the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, continuing the administration’s push to expand defense and high-tech partnerships across the Middle East.

Speaking to reporters at Incheon International Airport before boarding his flight to Abu Dhabi, Kang said he will meet “top-level government officials and key decision-makers in sovereign wealth funds” to discuss concrete cooperation across a wide range of sectors, including AI, defense, advanced manufacturing, K-food and K-culture.

Calling the Middle East an “indispensable region for the Korean economy,” Kang said cooperation models must evolve to reflect the rapidly changing geopolitical and industrial landscape. “To further expand and develop our achievements to date, we need new approaches and new fields of cooperation,” he said. He added he hopes successful new models will serve as a springboard for Korea and its Gulf partners to jointly enter third markets, including Europe.

Kang also said he intends to express gratitude for the trust Middle Eastern partners have shown Korea “despite volatility caused by illegal martial law and impeachment issues,” emphasizing that he will work to build a “permanent and sustainable cooperation framework” between Korea and the region.

Since being appointed special envoy on Oct. 17, Kang has visited Poland, Romania and Norway as part of broader strategic and defense-industry outreach.