Departure as Special Envoy for Strategic Economic Cooperation
"Middle East is a critically important region"
Second overseas mission after visits to Poland, Romania, and Norway
Discussions to build cooperation models in defense, AI, and advanced
Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoonshik will visit Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia in succession to promote 'K-Defense' exports. He is undertaking this mission as a Special Envoy for Strategic Economic Cooperation, a role assigned by President Lee Jaemyung. During this trip, Kang plans to discuss not only defense and military industry cooperation, but also ways to strengthen collaboration in advanced industries, including artificial intelligence (AI).
On the 13th, at Incheon International Airport before his departure, Kang told reporters, "The Middle East is an extremely important region for our economy," and added, "In order to continuously expand and develop the achievements of our cooperation so far, both the methods and areas of cooperation must evolve in line with the changing international landscape." He further explained, "Through this visit, I aim to meet with top-level government officials and sovereign wealth fund decision-makers to bring together various areas of cooperation-such as AI, defense, advanced manufacturing, K-Food, and K-Culture-and discuss practical, tangible ways to work together."
Since being appointed as Special Envoy for Strategic Economic Cooperation on October 17, Kang has already visited European countries including Poland, Romania, and Norway. This is his second overseas trip in this capacity. During his previous visit to Europe, he delivered a personal letter from President Lee and discussed topics such as financial support, technology cooperation, and collaboration with defense startups.
He stated, "Based on the results generated by new models of cooperation, I expect we can pursue joint entry into third countries such as neighboring nations or Europe." He continued, "Despite volatility caused by illegal martial law and the impeachment of the president, I would like to express my gratitude for the trust Middle Eastern countries have shown us. I will do my utmost to establish a fundamentally permanent and sustainable framework for intergovernmental cooperation."
During this trip, Kang is expected to have another meeting with UAE Crown Prince Khaled bin Mohammed Al Nahyan. He previously accompanied President Lee to a bilateral summit with the UAE on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Gyeongju, and reportedly held a separate meeting with the Crown Prince. In the bilateral talks, President Lee emphasized, "The UAE is the only country in the Middle East to have a special strategic partnership with the Republic of Korea," adding, "I hope the relationship between our two countries will develop even further."
The UAE has long shown strong interest in Korea's weapons systems. In 2022, it signed a contract worth about 4 trillion won for the export of the Korean ballistic missile interceptor system 'Cheongung-II.' As the Dubai Airshow, the largest aerospace industry exhibition in the Middle East, will be held in the UAE next week, Kang is expected to actively promote major Korean weapons systems such as the domestically developed supersonic fighter jet KF-21.
The government plans to establish the Middle East export hub for K-Defense centered on the UAE. This comes as global security conditions are rapidly changing, and countries are increasingly interested in acquiring advanced defense products. Previously, Kang explained that his visit to Europe was motivated by the competitive atmosphere for weapons procurement due to changes in the security environment, and that he believes it is the right time for Korean defense companies to enter the European market in earnest and establish new growth bases. The Presidential Office plans to announce additional Middle Eastern countries for enhanced cooperation at a later date, apart from the UAE.
In addition to defense and military industry, efforts will also be made to strengthen cooperation in AI and advanced industries. The UAE has established a ministerial position dedicated to artificial intelligence and set a goal of generating 13.6% of its gross domestic product (GDP) from the AI industry by 2030. Next year, the UAE plans to adopt AI and digital industries as core national policy agendas and expand the application of AI in public sectors such as healthcare, education, and the environment.
When asked about his mindset for this special envoy mission, Kang replied, "President Lee said that if there is any way to protect Korea's national interests and generate even a small amount of national wealth, I should not hesitate to make the visit." He added, "Following my trip to Europe, I will prepare so that this visit to the Middle East can contribute to creating new national wealth."
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