Saudi Arabia’s assistant minister of defense, Talal Abdullah Al-Otaibi, began a three-day visit to South Korea on Wednesday to observe the operation of advanced weapons systems by the ROK Navy and Air Force. Al-Otaibi reportedly plans to inspect the KF-21 fighter jet, the Cheongung M-SAM II ballistic missile interception system and the ROKS Dosan Ahn Changho, a key naval asset of the South Korean three-axis system.

The visit follows South Korean defense minister Shin Won-sik’s trip to Saudi Arabia last month, where he discussed strengthening bilateral defense cooperation and accelerating partnerships in the defense industry with the Saudi Minister of the National Guard, Abdullah bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz Al Saud. The February meeting culminated in the signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to pave the way for cooperation in the defense industry and joint weapons development between the two countries.