The governments of South Korea and Saudi Arabia have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly research and develop new weapons technologies, the two countries confirmed on Monday.
The deal is the latest expansion in defense cooperation between South Korea and Riyadh, which comes as conservative South Korean President Yoon Seok-yeol expands efforts to elevate South Korea as a major military technology provider. expanded. Yun has found a willing partner in Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is seeking to diversify his alliances amid a catastrophic deterioration in Saudi-American relations under left-leaning current President Joe Biden. Ta. A particular boost to Saudi-South Korean relations was Biden’s 2021 move toward Saudi Arabia, bowing to pressure from pro-Iranian groups to end support for Saudi efforts against Iran-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen. The decision was made to halt the sale of “offensive” weapons.
Anonymous reports from the past year indicate that shown Biden has toyed with the idea of reviving these arms sales, but has not yet done so. Meanwhile, the Houthis have launched a terrorist campaign against merchant ships in the Red Sea, destroying global commerce, and Saudi Arabia has signed numerous deals to purchase South Korean weapons.
The latest agreement surfaced after South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik visited Saudi Arabia this weekend to attend the World Defense Show, a military industry exhibition in Riyadh. The World Defense Show will give global investors and interested parties the opportunity to discuss cooperation in defense technology and related topics with Saudi authorities, who are confident that military development will become a formidable part of the Saudi economy. expressed enthusiasm.
“The sector is expected to contribute as much as $25 billion (SAR 93.75 billion) to the country’s GDP by 2030,” Saudi news agency Al Arabiya reported. report. “According to government estimates, 40,000 direct and 60,000 indirect job opportunities are also expected to be supported.”
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman sees the defense industry as a key pillar of his long-term plan, Vision 2030, to diversify the Saudi economy from near-total dependence on oil.
According to reports, on the sidelines of the event, South Korean Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman Al Saud and Minister of National Security Abdullah bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz Al Saud He met with several high-ranking Saudi officials, includingKorean news agency United.
Yonhap News reported, “On the sidelines of the defense exhibition, South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Planning Agency (DAPA) and the Saudi Ministry of Defense signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to pave the way for cooperation in the defense industry and joint weapons development.” Ta. “Under the MOU, the two countries will establish a bilateral committee to jointly conduct research and development of weapons systems for continued cooperation in the defense industry,” DAPA said.
Uhm Dong-hwan, Minister in charge of the Defense Agency; Confirmed They announced the agreement on Monday and celebrated it as an “opportunity to strengthen practical cooperation.”
“We look forward to this partnership cementing the future-oriented strategic partnership relationship between our two countries,” Om’s statement said.
Neither side provided details about what kind of “weapon systems” the joint working group was working on or who would participate in the working group’s activities. However, the committee will focus on large-scale projects that are said to be “medium-to-long-term.”
Defense Minister Singh’s visit to Saudi Arabia is part of his tour of the Middle East. include The company has also made stops in the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, where Yoon is prioritizing the sale of Korean-made weapons. Mr. Yun’s plan to expand the share of the defense market dominated by South Korea relies heavily on the Middle East.according to ReutersAccording to the Korean Chamber of Commerce and Industry, South Korea’s “arms exports to the Middle East increased nearly 10 times between 2013 and 2022” — and arms sales generally rose to 10 billion yen between 2021 and 2022. It is said that the amount has increased by almost $1. Mr. Yoon will become president in 2022.
In October, Yoon became the first South Korean president to visit Saudi Arabia and engaged in talks with Mohammed bin Salman, who prioritized “large-scale defense industrial cooperation.”
National Security Advisor Kim Tae-hyo, who visited Saudi Arabia with Yoon, said at the time, “Through cooperation with Saudi Arabia, the defense industry is emerging as a blue ocean.” “Talks for large-scale defense industrial cooperation are in the final stages in various areas such as anti-aircraft defense systems and firearms.”
“Europe, the Middle East, and other regions of the world are increasingly interested in South Korea’s weapons systems after reaching a record $17.3 billion in defense exports last year,” Kim said. “I believe that Mr. Yoon’s visit will be an opportunity to expand the scale of Japan’s defense export market.”
Yun met with Mohammed bin Salman and emphasized economic cooperation in general, not just in the defense field.
Yun: “South Korea is the perfect partner for Saudi Arabia in the post-oil era” Said During a meeting with the Crown Prince. “We have seen bilateral relations develop from traditional areas such as energy and construction, to cutting-edge industrial partnerships such as co-producing cars and ships, to cooperation in the areas of tourism and cultural exchange. That’s reassuring.”
Yun’s visit is in return for President Mohammed bin Salman’s visit to South Korea in November 2022, during which the crown prince secured $75 billion in investment deals from South Korean companies, much of which is now It was for the future city of Neom, which is being planned in a sparsely populated area. in northern Saudi Arabia. South Korean Energy Minister Lee Chang-yang said in a meeting with the then-crown prince and his officials that “Korea’s cutting-edge architecture” would play a major role in Neom’s development.
