President Lee Pursues Defense Cooperation at Mexico Summit, Laying Groundwork for Fighter Jet Exports

  【Financial News, Mexico City, Mexico — Choi Jong-keun, Reporter】South Korea and Mexico expanded their defense and aerospace cooperation during President Lee Jae Myung's state visit to Mexico, laying the groundwork for the local entry of the Korean-made FA-50 light attack aircraft. The two countries also agreed to broaden cooperation beyond defense to future industries, including industry and resources, finance, artificial intelligence (AI), and space.
President Lee and Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum held a summit on the 24th (local time) to discuss ways to expand bilateral cooperation. As a result, a total of 17 memorandums of understanding (MOUs) and other cooperation documents were signed between the two governments, institutions and companies. Seven of them were exchanged in the presence of the two leaders.
Under an MOU on defense cooperation, the two countries agreed to expand exchanges of defense-related information and experience and identify new areas of cooperation in military education and training, research and development, and the defense industry. In particular, they plan to connect Mexico's military modernization and maritime security needs with opportunities for Korean defense companies to enter the local market.
A framework for industrial cooperation to support the FA-50's entry into Mexico was also established. Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), POSCO International and the Mexican Aerospace Industry Association signed an MOU on aerospace industry cooperation. They agreed to pursue technical cooperation on the operation and maintenance of KAI platforms, including the FA-50, unmanned aerial vehicles and satellites, as well as the development of local supply chains. The presidential office explained, "The parties will review the possibility of industrial cooperation with local companies to produce in Mexico aerospace products developed and manufactured by KAI."
Financial cooperation and the training of specialized personnel will also be pursued. The possibility of industrial cooperation with local companies to produce KAI-developed and manufactured aerospace products in Mexico will also be reviewed. The government plans to expand cooperation from the FA-50 to unmanned aerial vehicles, satellites and airframe structures, making Mexico a hub for entering the Latin American and North American aerospace markets.
The institutional foundation for economic cooperation was also strengthened. Through the "Economic and Industrial and Resource Cooperation Initiative," the two countries will establish a director-general-level joint committee and working groups and share mineral resource-related statistics, information and sustainable mining technologies. The government plans to use the initiative as a foundation for facilitating a bilateral trade agreement and expanding industrial and resource cooperation.
Financial support for Korean companies seeking to enter Mexico will also be expanded. The Export-Import Bank of Korea (KEXIM) and Mexico's Foreign Trade Development Bank established a new $100 million on-lending facility and designated information and communications technology (ICT), automobiles and biotechnology as priority areas for cooperation. The measure is intended to support financing for Mexican companies importing Korean products and Korean companies entering the local market.
Through a declaration on AI cooperation, the two countries will also work together to implement the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) AI Initiative. Under an MOU on space cooperation, they will pursue joint research and industrial cooperation in space science, information and communications, launch systems and technology development. In customs, they agreed to expand the exchange of risk information and the sharing of advanced AI-based inspection technologies to support customs clearance for Korean exporters.
The two countries also signed cooperation documents covering a range of fields, including agricultural technology, intellectual property, culture and tourism, education, and public security. These agreements laid the groundwork for expanding South Korea-Mexico relations from a trade-centered partnership into a comprehensive relationship encompassing advanced industries and security.

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