Defense chiefs of S. Korea, Iraq agree to bolster defense industry cooperation

The defense chiefs of South Korea and Iraq agreed Wednesday to strengthen arms industry cooperation, Seoul’s defense ministry said, amid signs of Baghdad’s interest in a South Korean-built helicopter.

Defense Minister Shin Won-sik and his Iraqi counterpart Thabet Mohammed Saeed Al-Abbasi made the agreement during their talks in Seoul where they discussed ways to expand bilateral defense ties, according to the ministry.

Shin briefed the Iraqi official on various South Korean weapons systems, noting the two sides have established the foundation for further cooperation with the export of the T-50 series aircraft to Iraq.

In 2013, Korea Aerospace Industries Ltd. (KAI) signed a deal to supply 24 T-50IQs, a variant of the T-50 supersonic trainer, to the Middle Eastern country.

The Iraqi minister expressed expectations that if advanced South Korean weapons are introduced to Iraq, it would help strengthen the country’s defense capabilities, according to the ministry.

The ministry said the Iraqi minister plans to meet CEOs of major South Korean defense companies during his stay in South Korea. He is expected to meet KAI officials later in the day.

Earlier this month, Lt. Gen. Sameer Zaki Hussein Al-Maliki, commander of Iraq’s Army Aviation Command, checked a KUH-1 Surion helicopter during his visit to KAI’s headquarters in Sacheon, 296 kilometers southeast of Seoul, raising speculation over a potential deal.