Defense Minister Kim Jang-soo, left, talks with his Saudi Arabian counterpart Prince Sultan bin Abdul-Aziz during a meeting in the Middle East country, Sunday. / Courtesy of Defense Ministry

By Jung Sung-ki
Staff Reporter

Saudi Arabia is considering dispatching a military attache to its embassy in Seoul as part of efforts to improve bilateral defense ties, the Ministry of National Defense said Monday.

The plan was proposed during talks between Defense Minister Kim Jang-soo and his Saudi Arabian counterpart Crown Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, minister of defense and aviation, in Riyadh, Sunday, the ministry said in a news release.

Kim is on a three-day trip to the Middle East country for the first defense ministers' talks between the two nations in seven years.

``The ministers shared an understanding on the need for improving cooperation and exchanges between the militaries of the two nations,'' Lt. Col. Kim Gwang-woo of the ministry's international policy team told reporters. ``To that end, Saudi Arabia proposed that it would establish a diplomatic mission to handle defense affairs in South Korea.''

Minister Kim proposed South Korea participate in Saudi's bid to modernize its military as part of efforts to enhance cooperation in the defense industry, the officer said.

Sources said the South Korean defense minister asked his Saudi Arabian counterpart to consider purchasing South Korea's indigenous Chunma air defense missile system.

South Korea is competing with China for the acquisition program to equip its military with advanced surface-to-air missile systems _ the winner will be announced by the end of the month.

The Chunma, (Pegasus in English), also known as K-SAM, is an all weather, self-propelled surface-to-air missile system designed to provide air defense against low and medium altitude air attack.

It is suitable for protection of mobile military units, vital installations and infrastructure.

The system comprises a surveillance radar, a tracking radar with electro optics (EOTS), and a missile launcher on a modified K-200 armored personnel carrier.

The system can engage up to 12 targets within 20 kilometers simultaneously with an effective range of 10 kilometers. It is armed with eight missiles ready to fire at all times.

The missile flies at a speed of Mach 2.6, and carries a proximity fuse and a focused fragmentation warhead.

The system also features state-of-the-art guidance and fire control systems such as the Identification Friend-or Foe, FLIR thermal imaging infrared camera system, infrared localizer and command to line-of-sight missile guidance system.

The per-unit price is $16.2 million, and a missile costs about $303,655.

Minister Kim will fly to Paris Dec. 11, ministry officials said. Kim and his French counterpart Herve Morin will hold talks Dec. 13 on ways to promote bilateral ties, they said.

Kim will be awarded a French government medal in recognition of his contribution to defense ties between the two countries, they said.

gallantjung@koreatimes.co.kr