By Kang Seung-woo
President Park Geun-hye had a summit with Peruvian President Ollanta Humala in Lima, Monday, and discussed ways to export Korea’s indigenous light attack aircraft to the South American country, according to the presidential office.
Park is on a state visit to Peru as part of her trip to four South American countries that also include Colombia, Chile and Brazil. Peru is her second stop. She returns home on April 27.
Following the summit, the two heads of state attended the signing ceremony of memoranda of understanding (MOU) in five sectors, including health and medical services, and e-government.
The presidential office said the summit was focused on beefing up bilateral cooperation in high value-added industries such as defense and security as well as trade and investment.
Korea has been in talks with the South American side to sell two dozen FA-50 jets, a variant of the T-50 Golden Eagle supersonic trainer, as Peru is expected to select its next-generation light attack aircraft in the second half of the year.
The FA-50, first unveiled in January 2006, was developed in Korea as a possible replacement for the Air Force’s F-5E/F when the aging fighters are retired.
In March 2014, Korea signed a $420 million contract to export 12 FA-50s under a government-to-government deal to the Philippines, following another deal with Iraq in December 2013 to sell 24 jets.
Park’s office also said a planned rollout ceremony for the first basic trainer assembled in Peru in cooperation with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) could help Seoul’s push to export the FA-50 to Peru.
Under a 2012 deal, the KAI is helping Peru assemble 16 turbo-prop KT-1Ps for the Peruvian Air Force. Separately, it has already built and delivered four trainers to Peru.
Along with the FA-50 talks, Park and Humala discussed measures to expand bilateral cooperation in the field of e-government, including setting up an e-government system for Peru.
“Peru has continuously asked for cooperation with Korea’s solid e-government system,” Park’s office said.
In addition, President Park asked her Peruvian counterpart to help Korean companies participate in its police car procurement program and building of an integrated police communications system.
In 2012, Peru purchased 800 Hyundai Motor’s Santa Fe-based police cars, which it says have paid off in community policing.
During the meeting, Park asked Peru to join forces in Seoul’s efforts to steer North Korea in the right direction toward denuclearization and a market-based economy.
Meanwhile, the two heads of state awarded each other the highest decoration in their respective countries ― the Order of the Sun of Peru for Park and the Grand Order of Mugunghwa for Humala.