The agreement is the latest expansion of defense cooperation between Seoul and Riyadh, which has exploded as conservative South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol expands efforts to elevate South Korea as a major military technology provider.
Yoon has found a willing partner in Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is endeavoring to diversify his alliances in the face of the catastrophic deterioration in relations between Saudi Arabia and America under leftist current President Joe Biden.
Particularly aiding Saudi-South Korean ties was Biden’s decision to stop selling “offensive” weapons to Saudi Arabia in 2021, caving to pressure from pro-Iran groups to stop supporting Saudi efforts against the Iran-backed Houthi terrorists of Yemen.
Anonymous reports in the past year have indicated that Biden has toyed with the idea of restoring those weapons sales, but he has yet to do so.
In the meantime, the Houthis have launched a terrorist campaign against commercial shipping in the Red Sea that has devastated global commerce, and Saudi Arabia has inked numerous deals to buy South Korean weapons.
Recent mega-hurricanes prompt calls for a new Category 6
The latest agreement surfaced following a visit to Saudi Arabia by South Korean Defense Minister Shin Won-sik this weekend to attend the World Defense Show, a military industry showcase in Riyadh.
The World Defense Show gave global investors and interested state parties the chance to discuss collaboration in defense technology and related topics with Saudi authorities, who expressed enthusiasm about military development becoming a formidable part of the Saudi economy.
“The sector is expected to contribute as much as $25 billion (93.75 billion Saudi riyals) to the country’s GDP by 2030,” the Saudi news outlet al-Arabiya reported. “It is also expected to support 40,000 direct and 60,000 indirect job opportunities, according to government estimates.”
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