South Korea and Saudi Arabia are reportedly in the final stage of talks over large-scale defense industry cooperation after a summit between President Yoon Suk Yeol and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Principal Deputy National Security Advisor Kim Tae-hyo, who is accompanying Yoon on his state visit to the Middle Eastern nation, told reporters on Sunday that the defense industry is emerging as a blue ocean in South Korea’s cooperation with the host country.

Kim said that discussions on large-scale defense industry cooperation are in the final stage in various areas such as antiaircraft defense systems as well as weapons, adding that the two sides are discussing collaborative programs that are not one-time events but long-term and systematic.

An official at the top office said that the two sides are about to complete the agreement and the scale and amount are quite large, without disclosing the specific scale of the deal. 

At the summit, President Yoon and Crown Prince Mohammed also exchanged views on the armed conflict between Israel and the Palestinian militant group Hamas.

Kim said the two sides reached a consensus on the need to stop the humanitarian situation from worsening, and President Yoon said South Korea will fulfill its role to contribute to peace and stability in the region.