Kuwaiti Royal Family Also Wants Cheongung.. Foreign Minister Cho Discusses Defense Cooperation Between the Two Countries

[Financial News] Discussions on Kuwait's export of the South Korean Cheongung-II medium-range missile defense system are expected to move into full swing. The Cheongung missile defense system drew strong interest from Middle Eastern countries after it recorded an interception rate of more than 90% in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) shortly after the outbreak of the Iran War.
Foreign Minister Cho Hyun held talks on defense and energy cooperation with Kuwaiti Foreign Minister Sheikh Jara Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah, who visited South Korea on the 25th.
Cho said the bilateral meeting would include discussions on defense cooperation with Kuwait, as well as possible Cheongung exports.
When asked by a reporter whether there would be talks on Cheongung, which Kuwait has recently been seeking to acquire, Cho smiled and replied, "Yes."
The chances of exporting Cheongung-II to Kuwait are high. Jara, who held bilateral talks that day, is the son of Sheikh Jaber Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah, the 13th king who ruled Kuwait for 28 years, and the paternal nephew of the current king. The fact that a royal family member visited South Korea in person to push defense diplomacy also gives the effort clear momentum.
However, annual production of Cheongung-II is reportedly limited to eight batteries, and orders are already said to be at full capacity. As a result, an expansion of the Cheongung production line is under review.
If Cheongung-II is exported to Kuwait, it would mean that South Korea's defense industry has established itself as the de facto standard air defense weapons system in the Middle East's Persian Gulf region.
If Kuwait and Qatar, which are already discussing adoption, join the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and Iraq in confirming Cheongung-II purchases, five major GCC countries will form a single "K- air defense network."
When neighboring countries use the same weapons system, they can generate overwhelming synergies in joint training, intelligence sharing, and coordinated responses.
It would once again demonstrate the cost-effectiveness and competitiveness of South Korean defense products, replacing the U.S. Patriot system, whose deliveries are being delayed due to supply shortages.
One Cheongung-II battery costs about 30 billion to 40 billion won, roughly one-third the price of the U.S.-made Patriot system, which costs well over 100 billion won. One Cheongung-II missile costs around 1.5 billion won, while a Patriot missile costs 5 billion to 6 billion won.


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