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Presidential chief of staff to visit UAE this week for defense industry talks

Published: 10 Nov. 2025, 10:12

Kang Hoon-sik, the presidential chief of staff, speaks during a parliamentary audit session held at the National Assembly in Seoul on Nov. 6. [YONHAP]

Kang Hoon-sik, the presidential chief of staff, will visit the United Arab Emirates (UAE) this week for discussions on defense industry cooperation, the presidential office said Monday.

Kang, who also serves as a special envoy for strategic economic cooperation centered on the defense industry, is expected to have talks with senior UAE officials to bolster bilateral collaboration in the sector, a senior presidential official said.

The UAE, one of Korea's key defense partners, signed a deal in 2022 to purchase the Cheongung II midrange surface-to-air missile system.

President Lee Jae Myung met with Abu Dhabi Crown Prince Sheikh Khalid bin Mohamed Al Nahyan on Oct. 31 on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Korea, where they discussed ways to expand defense and arms industry cooperation. Kang also attended the meeting.

Last month, Kang visited Poland, Romania and Norway in his capacity as a special envoy, delivering President Lee's personal letters and holding talks with senior officials of those countries on expanding arms industry partnerships.

Yonhap