A top presidential aide has visited Saudi Arabia to deliver a letter from President Lee Jae Myung, expressing Seoul’s interest in deepening strategic ties with Riyadh.

Kang Hoon-sik, presidential chief of staff and special envoy for strategic economic cooperation, said Monday on social media that Lee had been unable to visit Saudi Arabia due to scheduling conflicts and that he intended to pursue future discussions on economic and security cooperation through the letter.

Kang said Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud, Saudi minister of foreign affairs, returned early from a trip to Canada to receive the letter and attend the meeting.

During the visit, Kang held a phone call with Prince Khalid bin Salman, Saudi minister of defense, and met senior officials, including the head of the Saudi General Authority for Military Industries, to discuss ways to expand economic and security cooperation, particularly in the defense sector.

Kang said the South Korean embassy in Riyadh noted the unusually high number of senior-level meetings arranged in a single day, adding that the schedule reflected Seoul's growing diplomatic profile and national capabilities.