Defense chief discusses arms industry cooperation with Dutch, Singaporean counterparts

Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun held talks Monday with his counterparts from the Netherlands and Singapore in Seoul to explore ways to strengthen cooperation in the arms industry, the defense ministry said.

Kim held talks with Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans as he visited South Korea to attend a security gathering on military artificial intelligence this week, according to the ministry.

During the talks, Kim voiced hope for South Korean companies to participate in the Netherlands’ defense acquisition projects and asked for Brekelmans’ interest in South Korean weapons systems.

Brekelmans pledged to expand cooperation with South Korea, citing President Yoon Suk Yeol’s state visit to his country last December, when the two countries agreed to strengthen “strategic” cooperation in the defense sector, the ministry said.

The two sides also shared the need to further cooperate in defense science and technology and the arms industry and agreed to swiftly open director-level defense talks as discussed between the two countries last year.

In a separate meeting, Kim also had talks with Singaporean Defense Minister Ng Eng Hen, who is also attending the Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain summit, and asked for Singapore’s interest in South Korean weapons systems, according to the ministry.

Kim thanked Ng for Singapore’s support for South Korea’s policy on North Korea, while Ng pledged Singapore would make efforts for regional peace and stability, including on the Korean Peninsula, it said.