South Korea, UAE advance defense industry cooperation

President Lee Jae-myung met Wednesday with Khaldoun Khalifa Al Mubarak, chairman of the Abu Dhabi Executive Affairs Authority and a key power broker in the United Arab Emirates, to discuss cooperation in the defense industry and other areas. The two sides also reportedly discussed ways for South Korea to participate in the Stargate UAE Project, a 30 trillion won initiative the UAE is pursuing in partnership with OpenAI.

Lee received Al Mubarak at the main building of Cheong Wa Dae on Wednesday morning and said South Korea and the UAE had agreed to build a partnership intended to last 100 years. He described the relationship as comparable to a lifelong marriage and said both sides should carefully examine how to translate that vision into concrete and visible outcomes.

Lee also addressed Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik, who attended the meeting, asking whether Kang and Al Mubarak had been working closely together. Noting that Kang oversees joint projects with the UAE, Lee said the two sides had prepared detailed plans for bilateral cooperation and urged them to coordinate closely to produce tangible results. He also conveyed his regards to UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and invited him to visit South Korea at an early date.

Al Mubarak said President Mohamed had asked him to convey his warm thanks and greetings to Lee. He added that, as Lee had noted, he considers Kang like an older brother and would work closely with him to deliver results. Al Mubarak said President Mohamed had emphasized the importance of achieving as many visible outcomes as possible in a short period. Responding to Lee’s invitation, he said that if South Korea proposes suitable dates, he will do his utmost to coordinate the visit and work toward meaningful achievements on that occasion.

Al Mubarak’s visit to South Korea was aimed at giving substance to cooperation measures discussed during Lee’s recent visit to the UAE, including in the defense industry, artificial intelligence and energy sectors. This marked Lee’s first meeting with Al Mubarak in about two months, following his state visit to the UAE in November. At the time, Kang said opportunities for South Korean defense companies to secure contracts worth more than $15 billion had significantly expanded.

Kang, who previously visited the UAE as Lee’s special envoy, also held a luncheon meeting with Al Mubarak on Wednesday, during which the two sides reportedly discussed additional ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation.


윤다빈 empty@donga.com