South Korea, UAE boost defense ties with training, fighter jet cooperation
Maj. Gen. Rashed Mohammed A. Al-Shamsi, commander of the UAE Air Force and Air Defense, arrived in Seoul on a four-day official visit on Monday.
On Tuesday, he signed an agreement with South Korean Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Lee Young-soo to establish regular bilateral meetings between their air forces, and on Wednesday, a letter of intent focused on cooperation related to the KF-21 Boramae fighter jet.
The KF-21 is a 4.5-generation supersonic aircraft developed by Korea Aerospace Industries and slated for official deployment in 2026. An Emirati pilot participated in its test flight during Al-Shamsi's visit, as the cooperation will also include training UAE personnel to operate the jet.
'The South Korea Air Force regularly participates in the Desert Flag and IAMDOC (Integrated Air Missile Defense Operations Course) exercises held in the UAE. Moving forward, we aim to further expand our cooperation and defense exchanges with the UAE,' Lee said in a statement after the meetings.
He also reaffirmed Seoul's commitment to supporting the operations of the Cheongung II, a South Korean medium-range surface-to-air missile system purchased by the UAE in 2022.
'We will provide training programs for Emirati air defense personnel to ensure the successful operation of the missile system,' he said.
The initiative to hold regular meetings with the UAE Air Force — Korea's first air force-to-air force regular talks with a Middle Eastern country — stems from Gen. Lee's visit to Abu Dhabi in March, during which both sides agreed on the need for closer military coordination.
Under the new framework, the two countries will hold bilateral meetings every six months.
Military cooperation between the UAE and South Korea started in 2006, when they signed a defense agreement. In 2011, at the request of Abu Dhabi, South Korea deployed its Akh Unit to a military base in Al-Ain to provide support in training the UAE special forces — an arrangement that continues to this day.
'It was the UAE that asked for Korea's deployment. It seems the UAE sees South Korea as a reliable partner in Asia when they seek to diversify their defense,' Kim Kang-seok, professor of Middle Eastern and African studies at the Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, told Arab News.
'The UAE is focused on advancing its military's AI capabilities and achieving defense self-reliance … The UAE has adopted AI initiatives as a key national strategy. That is also foraying into the military. This makes South Korea a very attractive partner because South Korea has a large AI capability, a growing military industry and a global economic standing.'
Advancing military ties is also in line with the comprehensive economic partnership pact the two countries signed last year. It is also a part of the UAE's efforts to reduce reliance on the US for defense, as well as Seoul's geopolitical considerations, according to Ahn So-yeon from the West Asia Center at Seoul National University.
'They are considering South Korea to be a very good partner in Asia. Since South Korea is an ally of the US, the UAE feels less pressured by the US when cooperating with South Korea, compared to other Asian countries,' Ahn said.
'The UAE is a key oil producer in the Middle East. The UAE is a key energy supplier for South Korea and is strategically located near the Strait of Hormuz. Stationing troops there helps South Korea safeguard ships on key maritime trade routes.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Leaders
23-06-2025
- Leaders
INTERVIEW-Tehran's Response will be Limited to Escalation with Israel: Dr. Youssef Badr
As the conflict between Iran and Israel entered its tenth day, the US joined to Israel's side, striking three key nuclear facilities in Iran with bunker-buster bombs and Tomahawk missiles and risking further escalation. The announcement came early on Sunday, as the US President, Donald Trump, declared that Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities, Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan, have been 'completely and totally obliterated.' In response, Iran accused Washington of launching a dangerous war on Tehran, in complicity with Israel, warning of the 'everlasting consequences' of the US strikes and stressing Iran's right to respond. The recent escalation has put the world on edge, as Tehran is weighing its response, including the possibility of closing the Hormuz Strait – a move that could send shockwaves across the global economy. As a result, world powers have called for restraint and de-escalation, urging all sides to return to diplomacy. To gain more insights into the ongoing conflict, Leaders MENA Magazine reached out for Dr. Youssef Badr, a scholar of Middle Eastern affairs. In this interview, Dr. Badr explains the implications of the recent developments on Iran and the wider region. Iran's Nuclear Program Q: Have the US and Israeli strikes succeeded in eliminating Iran's nuclear program? Officially, Trump promotes that the Iranian nuclear program is obliterated in order to end the war. In fact, however, the US and Israel have not managed to completely eliminate the Iranian nuclear program. They have just disrupted it. The Iranian nuclear program cannot be obliterated because – unlike projects previously destroyed in Libya or Iraq – it depends on national expertise, whether in terms of scientists, equipment production, or facility construction. Therefore, the US policy, which was swayed by the Israeli narrative, does not appear successful because the Iranian project could go underground. In this case, it will be more dangerous than monitoring it by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Tehran's Options Q: Would Iran escalate or succumb to Trump's threats and choose peaceful settlement? And what options does Tehran have to respond? Tehran will not accept a forced peace, just as it has rejected a forced war. Hence, it will not be easy for the Iranians to accept any settlement that comes at the expense of their status and regional interests. Iran's history bears this out. The Iranians did not end war with Iraq – even though they were not the ones who initiated it – until they secured their demands. Indeed, Iran welcomes an end to the war, but not in the form of a capitulation. Any settlement must yield benefits. The Iranians may not oppose giving up the right to uranium enrichment in exchange of something bigger, such as the return of Iran to the global economy in a competitive way. Tehran's options to respond to the US strikes will remain limited to escalation with the Israelis and disturbing the Americans. The Iranian military strategy does not invite a war with the US and consider it a red line. However, Iran has the ability to endure a long attrition war, although the large geographical distance between Iran and Israel makes it unlikely. Escalation Risks Q: Trump told the Iranians that there are 'many targets left' that the US could strike if 'peace does not come quickly.' In your opinion, what was Trump referring to? It is a warning message to pressure Iran to accept a deal that brings the war to an end. He means draining what is left of Iran's economic, military or nuclear capabilities. Despite Tehran's rejection of ending the war, negotiations have not stopped and Trump sends messages to Iran through mediators. Moreover, the Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi's visit to Moscow indicates that reaching a solution is possible, particularly that Tehran met with the E3. This also indicates a failure of Trump's policy, which refused multilateral talks in the beginning. Intervention Implications Q: What potential repercussions does the US' military intervention in Iran have on the Middle East and the world? Two nuclear powers attacked an undeclared nuclear state, which has a nuclear program that, despite suspicions, has not been proven to be non-peaceful. This undermines the UN Charter and constitutes a failure of the IAEA's mission and goals. Therefore, it makes the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) membership pointless, especially that Trump publicly acknowledged striking nuclear facilities and NASA confirmed the operation. Furthermore, Israel's involvement in the operation will drive the region's countries to seriously consider the danger of Israel's nuclear capabilities, aside from Iran's issue. Similarly, the American move emboldens Russia to replicate the strike against Ukrainian nuclear facilities. Russia and China Q: How do you assess the positions of Russia and China toward the current escalation? Would they intervene in the conflict? Russia has taken advantage of the West's focus on Iran, intensifying its strikes on Ukraine and occupying more territories to gain more bargaining chips with the Western powers. Despite limited support, there will be no direct Russian intervention to Iran's side unless Iran agreed to include military partnership in the strategic agreement between the two countries. But this risks broadening the war. Current conflicts involve a side that engages in a direct confrontation and another side that provides undeclared support, as seen with NATO's unofficial support to Ukraine. Moreover, Moscow does not want a strong Iran as this will deny Russia an avenue to maneuver against Western and European sanctions. At the same time, it does not welcome the fall or fragmentation of Iran. In such case, Russia could reoccupy the northern regions of Iran to protect its interests and influence. As for China, Iran is not like Pakistan, which borders China and received its support against India. Still, Iran is important for China as a gateway to Europe, the Gulf and the Middle East. So, it does not welcome its collapse. Meanwhile, Russia and China are both responsible for the dilapidated state that Iran is experiencing. The two countries have not given Tehran its demanded weapons, defense systems and fighter jets, under the pretext of compliance to international sanctions. Thus, Iran has not received sufficient development since it aligned itself with them. Domestic Impacts of Escalation Q: How is the current conflict impacting Iran domestically? And is the collapse of the regime imminent? There are opponents, even enemies, to the current regime. But at the same time, there are supporters, and Iran's social and organizational structure is contributing to protecting this regime. Just as the opposition propaganda claims that the Iranian regime has begun to erode, the current war may have given it a new lease on life. The regime managed to adapt to the war in Iraq for eight years. Additionally, the 2015 nuclear deal granted Iran an opportunity for change, as a result of its engagement with the West – a development that unsettled Russia and China. However, Trump scrapped the deal and caused a mistrust in the West. This lack of trust in the Western powers will keep pushing Iranians toward alignment with Moscow and Beijing. Short link : Post Views: 10
Saudi Gazette
20-06-2025
- Saudi Gazette
Chinese citizens flee Iran as conflict with Israel rages on
TEHRAN — Hundreds of Chinese workers, students and tourists have fled or been evacuated from Iran to neighboring countries as the conflict with Israel spirals. Masa Li, a 24-year-old Chinese citizen who has lived and worked in Tehran for the past few years, fled the city on Monday after three days of bombing. 'At night, we took turns keeping watch. There were explosions every night, lasting until two or three o'clock in the morning,' she said, adding that she saw several strikes hitting the city from where she lived. On the final day, Li decided to flee with nine colleagues and friends. It took them more than 30 hours to reach a border crossing in Armenia — a drive stalled by repeated car breakdowns and frequent stops for questioning and phone checks by police and military officers. 'I didn't expect this to really happen,' Li told CNN from the Armenian capital of Yerevan. 'There were two minor flare-ups last year, but I didn't expect things to escalate so quickly this time.' Many Chinese in Iran work for Chinese companies that have invested in the oil-rich country. China has for years been Iran's largest trading partner and the biggest buyer of Iranian oil. The Middle Eastern nation is an enthusiastic supporter of Beijing's 'Belt and Road Initiative,' a global infrastructure and investment drive. The Chinese Embassy started evacuating Chinese citizens from Tehran on Tuesday, according to state media. China's Foreign Ministry said Thursday that more than 1,600 Chinese nationals had been relocated from Iran, while several hundred Chinese citizens had been evacuated from Israel. China, a key diplomatic and economic backer of Iran, has condemned Israel for violating Iran's sovereignty and escalating tensions in the Middle East by launching the attack. It has urged both sides to de-escalate tensions and offered to play a 'constructive role' in resolving the conflict. — CNN
Saudi Gazette
11-06-2025
- Saudi Gazette
South Korea turns off propaganda loudspeakers to North
SINGAPORE — South Korea's military says it has suspended its loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts across the border to North Korea, as part of a bid to "restore trust" between both countries. The move comes a week after the country elected its new president Lee Jae-myung, who had campaigned on improving inter-Korean ties. Pyongyang considers the loudspeaker propaganda broadcasts an act of war and has threatened to blow them up in the past. They were previously paused for six years but resumed in June last year in response to Pyongyang's campaign of sending rubbish-filled balloons across the border to the South. In recent years, the broadcasts have included news from both Koreas and abroad as well as information on democracy and life in the South. Ties between North and South Korea had deteriorated under the previous president Yoon Suk Yeol, who was more hawkish towards was impeached and removed from his post for briefly placing South Korea under martial law in December, citing supposed threats from anti-state forces and North Korea successor, Lee, had campaigned on a series of pledges, including one to restart dialogue with Pyongyang and to reduce tensions between both move aims to "restore trust in inter-Korean relations and achieve peace on the Korean Peninsula", the military said in a organizations advocating to improve the human rights of North Koreans have criticized the suspension."The loudspeakers were a vital bridge to the North Korean people, a reminder that they are not forgotten. By turning them off, we've only strengthened Kim Jong Un's efforts to keep his people isolated", said Hana Song, the Executive Director of the Database Center for North Korean Human Rights, based in Seoul."The fact that one of the new government's first actions is to turn off the loudspeakers is a troubling sign," she added. "It suggests we're returning to the days of appeasing the North Korean regime."But residents living along the border have welcomed the move. They have for months complained that their lives have been blighted by the noise of the loudspeakers coming from both the South and North, sometimes in the middle of the border region, Ganghwa county, said in a statement: "We hope this decision will lead to an end to North Korea's noise-based psychological warfare, allowing our residents to return to their normal daily lives."According to a report by the Yonhap news agency, the military's decision also took into account the fact that the North has no longer been sending rubbish-filled balloons across the by suspending instead of terminating the broadcasts, the military is signalling that the speakers could be fired up again if needed, adds claims the broadcasts can be heard as much as 10km (6.2 miles) across the border in the day and up to 24km (15 miles) at suspension comes almost exactly a year after they were first resumed in June 2024 - when both countries had engaged in various retaliatory campaigns involving rubbish and propaganda with the South had always been a key, if increasingly unrealistic, part of the North's ideology since the inception of the state - until Kim abandoned the idea earlier last countries are technically still at war since the Korean War ended in 1953 without a peace treaty. — BBC
