Foreign Minister Cho Hyun discussed the direction of bilateral relations, including defense cooperation such as Korea's Cheongung missile defense system, in talks with visiting Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Abdullah Ali Al-Sabah on the 25th.
Cho held the foreign ministers' meeting with Al-Sabah at the Foreign Ministry building in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Speaking to reporters shortly before the talks, Cho smiled and said "yes" when asked whether the meeting would cover defense. Asked whether the discussions concerned Cheongung, he added, "Of course." Kuwait is pursuing the acquisition of the Cheongung-II, a medium-range surface-to-air guided missile also known as the "Korean Patriot."
In his opening remarks, Cho said Kuwait's decision to visit three East Asian countries amid heightened regional tensions showed how much importance Kuwait places on its relations with the region. "We, too, regard the relationship between our two countries as very important," he said, adding that he hoped bilateral ties would be elevated to a higher level.
Al-Sabah responded that he had wanted to make sure Korea was included in his first tour of Asia, "because we cherish this relationship." He said Kuwait's investment in Korea had risen from about $5 billion last year to $18.2 billion this year, calling it "historic growth exceeding 260% in just one year." He added that Kuwait hoped to build on this momentum to elevate bilateral relations to a broader horizon.
