South Korea pursues closer defense ties with Saudi Arabia

[Bilad al-Haramayn]

South Korea pursues closer ties with Saudi Arabia ​

​

By Yi Whan-woo
2016-05-19 16:42

South Korea is stepping up efforts to bolster its ties with Saudi Arabia in a bid to pursue a more balanced diplomacy in the Middle East, following President Park Geun-hye's historic trip to Iran earlier this month.

Prime Minister Hwang Kyo-ahn is scheduled to meet Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud during his visit to Riyadh this weekend.

Hwang will be Korea's first incumbent prime minister to travel to Saudi Arabia since 2005.

His trip comes amid speculation that Seoul's Middle Eastern diplomacy will be put to the test due to the rivalry between Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Park became the first Korean President to visit Iran while in office.

In separate efforts, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said Thursday that DAPA chief Chang Myoung-jin met Saudi Arabia's Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman in Riyadh on May 8 to discuss ways to expand defense cooperation. Prince Mohammed also serves as the country's defense minister.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also confirmed Thursday that S-Oil, a local oil refiner owned by Saudi Arabia's state-run oil firm Aramco, is in discussions with Mapo-gu, Seoul, to rename Mapo-daero, a major street in the district, to "Riyadh-ro" after the Saudi capital.

No roads or streets in Korea are currently named after Saudi Arabian places, according to the foreign ministry.

In 1977, Seoul named one of its main streets in Gangnam as "Tehran-ro" in line with a sister relationship established with the Iranian capital. Likewise, Tehran named one of its own streets "Shahrak-e Seoul," after the Korean capital.

Government officials and experts were optimistic that similar initiatives could help Korea enhance relations with Saudi Arabia.

"Hwang's trip should be interpreted as Korea working toward a balancing role between Saudi Arabia and Iran amid concerns that Riyadh may be uneasy about Park's visit to Tehran," an official at the Prime Minister's Office said on condition of anonymity.

A foreign ministry official said: "The issues on Riyadh-ro don't concern any diplomatic problems and it is believed to fuel optimism for Seoul-Riyadh relations, although the final decision is yet to be made by the Mapo District Office."

Park Won-gon, an international relations professor at Handong University, voiced a similar view, citing that Hwang's discussions with Saudi Arabia's royal officials have been aimed at economic development.

"The government is on the right track in its strategy to expand its economic ties with Saudi Arabia," Park said.

In a scheduled meeting with King Salman, Hwang is expected to discuss bilateral cooperation on health and medical care in addition to Korea's ongoing projects in the energy, construction and plant management sectors of the Arabian kingdom.

Hwang is currently traveling to Uzbekistan, the first leg of his trip to three countries. After his weekend visit to Saudi Arabia, he will stop in Turkey from Sunday to Monday before returning home, Tuesday.

Prior to his departure, he also met Saudi Arabia's Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al Saud in Seoul on May 16. The Prince is King Salman's cousin and also a billionaire business magnate.

Hwang promised support for Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 project, a blueprint aimed at overhauling its oil-reliant economy amid low oil prices and nurturing other industries, including defense.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/common/vpage-pt.asp?categorycode=120&newsidx=205107

Saudi Arabia and South Korea Discuss Cooperation in Defense

Source: SPA
​

Saudi Deputy Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Second Deputy Premier and Minister of Defense, met in Riyadh Sunday with South Korea’s Minister for Acquisition of Defense Programs Chang Myung Jin.

During the meeting, they reviewed the friendly relation between the two countries and discussed ways of joint cooperation in defense fields, Saudi Press Agency (SPA) reported.

The meeting was attended by Assistant Defense Minister Mohammed Al-Ayesh; Chief of General Staff General Abdulrahman Al-Bunyan; Consultant at the Royal Court and General Supervisor of the Defense Minister’s Office Fahd Al-Isa; and Director General of the Defense Minister's Office Dr. Husham Al Al-Sheikh.

On the Korean side, the meeting was attended by Korea’s Ambassador to the Kingdom Kwon Pyung Oh; Director General for the Defense Industries Development office Major General Won Jin; and Defense Attaché at the Korean Embassy in Riyadh Col. Cheon Jae.

Earlier this month, Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulazizmet at his office in Riyadh with Turkmen Minister of Defense Yaylym Berdiyew.

During the meeting which took place on 01 May, they also discussed means of developing cooperation between the two countries in the field of defense.

http://defaiya.com/news/Regional News/KSA/2016/05/10/saudi-arabia-south-korea-discuss-cooperation-in-defense​