Kang Hoon-sik, presidential chief of staff and special envoy for strategic economic cooperation, speaks to reporters at Incheon International Airport on Thursday after visiting the United Arab Emirates the previous day. (Yonhap)


South Korea and the United Arab Emirates have agreed to pursue more than $65 bi 바다이야기사이트 llion in joint cooperation projects, including over $35 billion in defense industry initiatives, Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday.
Cheong Wa Dae made the announcement after Kang Hoon-sik, the pre 릴게임가입머니 sidential chief of staff, returned from his trip to the UAE on Wednesday as presidential special envoy for strategic economic cooperation, during which he led an interagency government delegation.
야마토릴게임Kang met Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, chair of Abu Dhabi’s Executive Affairs Authority and the UAE president’s envoy overseeing bilateral ties with South Korea.
Cheong Wa Dae said the 릴게임5만 two sides "agreed to promote cooperation projects worth more than $65 billion" following the meeting.
“The biggest achievement of the special envoy’s visit is that cooperation projects wort 바다이야기APK h more than $35 billion in the defense industry sector were finalized,” it said in a press statement.
“The two countries moved beyond a simple buyer-seller relationship in weapons and agreed to cooperate across the entire defense industry lifecycle — from design to education, training and maintenance.”
Against this backdrop, Seoul and Abu Dhabi signed a memorandum of understanding on the “Defense Industry Cooperation Framework” containing these cooperation principles, Cheong Wa Dae added.
Speaking at a press briefing upon arrival at Incheon International Airport, Kang said, “Defense cooperation is a field tied to national security, and therefore can only proceed when it is backed by the highest level of trust between countries.”
“The signing of the MOU with the UAE was possible because of the trust between the two leaders and the long-standing experience of cooperation the two countries have built over many years,” he added.
However, Kang declined to provide further details on specific defense cooperation projects for security reasons.
“The $35 billion initiative encompasses the full spectrum — including integrated air defense systems, advanced airpower and maritime capabilities.”
According to Cheong Wa Dae, South Korea and the UAE also “agreed to newly revamp their $30 billion bilateral investment cooperation framework.”
The moves are follow-up measures to the Korea-UAE summit held during President Lee Jae Myung’s visit to the UAE last November, which designated strategic areas — including defense, AI, nuclear energy and culture — to underpin what the two sides described as “A New Leap toward a Shared Journey for the Next Century between Korea and the UAE.”
When asked about the $30 billion cooperation, Kang said, “Details regarding the direction of the investment agreement will be announced in May.”
“How much will be allocated, in what areas and through what channels — will be reported to the public on the occasion of a future summit between the two countries,” Kang said.
Through this visit, “the two sides have reached agreement on the overall amount, direction and timeline,” Kang added.



Kang Hoon-sik, the presidential chief of staff, meets Khaldoon Khalifa Al Mubarak, chair of Abu Dhabi’s Executive Affairs Authority and the UAE president’s envoy overseeing ties with South Korea, in the UAE on Wednesday. (Kang Hoon-sik’s Facebook)


Notably, during Kang's visit, Korea and the UAE also agreed to further expand cooperation across the entire nuclear power plant lifecycle, building on the partnership experience accumulated through the Barakah nuclear power project, Cheong Wa Dae said.
The two countries decided to work closely in areas including nuclear fuel supply, strengthening nuclear plant maintenance capabilities, and applying AI technologies to nuclear power operations.
Cheong Wa Dae said the two sides agreed to swiftly begin detailed consultations to craft an implementation strategy for joint entry into overseas markets and to adopt a joint roadmap at a future summit.
To deliver tangible outcomes by the next summit, Seoul and Abu Dhabi shared the view that they would establish sector-specific working groups in areas such as nuclear energy, AI, advanced technologies and culture to accelerate follow-up discussions, according to Cheong Wa Dae.
To that end, Korea and the UAE concurred on establishing and operating sector-specific working groups on a biweekly basis.
Khaldoon is expected to visit Korea again around March or April to review progress and continue follow-up discussions.
Separately, Kang paid a courtesy call on UAE President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and delivered a personal letter from President Lee inviting him to visit Korea