South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense announced on Tuesday that LIG Nex1, a Korean defense firm, has secured a $3.2 billion contract to supply Saudi Arabia with mid-range Cheongung M-SAM II surface-to-air missiles. The agreement, finalized in November, positions LIG Nex1 for its second international sale of the Cheongung-II system, following a previous deal with the United Arab Emirates in Jan. 2022. The missile system is designed to intercept threats at altitudes up to 25 miles (40 kilometers), enhancing defensive capabilities against artillery and aircraft.

In conjunction with the arms deal, South Korea and Saudi Arabia signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to foster defense industry cooperation and joint weapons development. This MOU, signed during the World Defense Show in Riyadh, establishes a bilateral committee for the research and development of weapons systems, marking a step toward deepening defense ties between the two nations.