Korean Information Service, Korea's commerce and industry minister will be in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) next week to pitch the country's advanced supersonic jet in the hopes of gaining a defense bid worth over $1 billion, the government said on Friday.
The visit by Kim Young-ju comes amid expectations that the Middle Eastern country will choose its next generation trainer jet by early November.
Korea's T-50 Golden Eagle is vying against Britain's BAE Systems Hawk 128 and Italy's Aermacchi M-346. The lucrative deal may be worth 60 planes and exceed US$1 billion.
If Korea wins the contract, it will be the first sale of a South Korean jet trainer, opening doors for more sales to countries like Singapore and Greece.
“Kim is expected to meet UAE President Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Abu Dhabi Crown Prince, General Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan on Tuesday to ask for their support,” said Hwang Kyu-yearn, head of the ministry's trade cooperation policy bureau.
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), the state-run manufacturer of the T-50, said its jet has many advantages over its rivals, including the ability to reach Mach 1.4, a fly-by-wire control interface, and the ability to be used as a potent light attack aircraft.
Hwang also said the minister will stress that South Korea and the UAE enjoy future-oriented cooperative relations, including the joint development of energy resources.
Hwang is expected to attend a South Korea-UAE business forum on Wednesday, where businessmen from the two countries can exchange views on promoting cooperation in manufacturing, communication and information technology, the defense industry, and energy research and development.
Kim, meanwhile, will be in Oman on Sunday and Monday to discuss energy and economic issues with Oman's king and other key officials.
Kim is expected to ask for Oman's support of the South Korean port city of Yeosu in its bid to host the 2012 World Expo. The city, located 455 kilometers south of Seoul, is locked in a close race with Wroclaw, Poland and Tangiers, Morocco.
The winner is to be announced during an annual meeting of the Bureau of International Expositions in late November.
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