South Korea and Saudi Arabia on Sunday signed a memorandum of understanding to expand defence cooperation, Seoul’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration said, as Seoul looks to ink further arms sales in the region.
The agreement will see the two establish a joint committee to form a working group for weapons systems research and development as well as production to continue defence cooperation, DAPA said in a press release on Monday.
Defence minister Shin Won-sik, who was visiting Riyadh for the World Defense Show as part of a week-long trip to the Middle East, and his Saudi counterpart Khalid bin Salman Al Saud were present during the signing of the agreement, according to DAPA.
A DAPA spokesperson did not share further details when asked about the agreement at a media briefing on Monday.
South Korea is looking to boost sales to become one of the world’s largest suppliers of weapons, despite stiff competition from other global arms exporters.
Its arms sales jumped to $17 billion in 2022 from $7.25 billion the year before, data from the defence ministry showed.
The country’s weapons exports to the Middle East grew nearly tenfold between 2013 and 2022, according to the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
