South Korean President To Strengthen 'Strategic Cooperation' With UAE During Visit, Backs Carbon Neutrality

As South Korea and the UAE enter into business deals worth billions of dollars, President Yoon Suk Yeol has embarked on a four-day visit to the Middle Eastern country.

Accompanied by his first lady Kim Keon-Hee, Yoon arrived at Qasr Al Watan on Sunday to attend an official reception, which included a performance of the South Korean national anthem, firing of 21-artillery rounds, and guards lining up to honor the leader.

"I was pleased to welcome President Yoon Suk Yeol to the UAE," said Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. "We had fruitful discussions and witnessed the signing of several agreements and MOUS."

"Our Special Strategic Partnership with the Republic of Korea will continue to strengthen and serve our common interests and goals," he added.

The president's visit comes at a time South Korea also deployed special forces troops to defend the UAE, amid tensions with neighboring Iran.

Almost two years after Iran seized a South Korean oil tanker in 2021, it looks like Yoon wants to increase South Korea's military links with the UAE.

"I think that the situation in the Middle East is changing very rapidly when it comes to geopolitics," said June Park of the International Strategy Forum at Schmidt Futures. "So Korea wants to make sure some of the strategic partnerships and the components with the UAE remain strong."

While South Korea does rely on the Emirates for less than 10% of its crude oil supply, the country has now struck several other deals with the UAE beyond oil. Existing trade between the two countries also includes cars and other goods.

South Korea's topmost priority seems to be the Barakah nuclear power plant, which will see Seoul building atomic reactors for the first time outside their country. The facility, which will have four reactors, is worth $20 billion and will be in the western deserts of the UAE, near the Saudi border.

As UAE plans to go carbon-neutral by 2050, the plant will account for a quarter of the country's power requirements.

Speaking at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, Yoon said, "Korea has ... declared its 2050 carbon neutrality goal. To achieve this goal, we are working to rapidly restore the nuclear power system, which supplies carbon-free electricity."

"If our two countries join efforts in clean energy development ... it will not only enhance our two countries energy security but also will contribute to global energy market stability," Yoon added.

South Korean officials had also described Yoon's visit, before his arrival, as a move to solidify the ties between the two countries.

"This visit will strengthen strategic cooperation with our brother country UAE in the four core cooperative sectors of nuclear power, energy, investment and defense," said South Korea's Director of National Security Kim Sung-Han.

An anonymous presidency official also suggested that Yoon and Mohamed have already agreed on an arms deal.

"The atmosphere is extremely ripe for security or military cooperation between South Korea and the UAE involving the arms industry," South Korean news outlet Yonhap quoted the official as saying.

In 2022, South Korea had signed a deal worth $3.5 billion to sell advanced air defense system M-SAM to the UAE. The M-SAM is designed to intercept missiles at altitudes below 25 miles.