5 Sep : The Defence Minister Shri AK Antony has described his two day visit to South Korea as ‘fruitful’. Speaking at a luncheon, hosted in his honour by the South Korean Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Kim Sung-Chan at Jinhae Naval Base on Saturday, his last engagement in South Korea before returning to New Delhi, Shri Antony said, the Defence MoUs signed by the two countries during his visit have opened up new vistas of cooperation. Describing the MoUs as the ‘starting point’, Shri Antony said these have the potential to build on the strengths of the two countries in numerous fields and to help in achieving peace and stability in not only the Asia-Pacific but also in the Indian Ocean region.
The Indian Defence Minister visited several defence establishments of South Korea before flying back to New Delhi. He visited the 3rd Training Wing of the Korean Air Force where he was given a detailed brief on training by the Chief of the Air Staff General Lee Kae-Hoon. Shri Antony was also given an experience of the Flight Simulator which is used to train young fighter pilots.
Shri Antony visited the Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) assembly line at Sacheon. KAI is the South Korean national aerospace company established in 1999 with the consolidation of Samsung Aerospace, Daewoo Heavy Industries, and Hyundai Space and Aircraft Company (HYSA). It manufactures civil and military aircraft and satellites.
Shri Antony also witnessed an amazing display of the aerobatic skills of The Black Eagles Team of the Korean Air Force, flying eight T-50 Golden Eagle aircraft. The Defence Minister later visited a Destroyer of the Korean Navy.
