Belgian Ambassador to Korea Bruno Jans delivers congratulatory remarks during the "Belgium-Korea Defence & Aerospace for Building Partnerships, Creating Opportunities" held at the Westin Josun Seoul in central Seoul, May 12. Courtesy of the Embassy of Belgium in Korea
The Embassy of Belgium in Korea recently hosted a forum exploring future cooperation in the aerospace and defense sectors between the two countries, bringing together government officials, industry leaders and defense experts.
Opening the “Belgium–Korea Defence & Aerospace Forum: Building Partnerships, Creating Opportunities” at the Westin Josun Seoul, May 12, Belgian Ambassador to Korea Bruno Jans highlighted the growing importance of bilateral cooperation amid rapid changes in the global defense landscape, noting that both countries possess highly complementary strengths in technology, industrial capability and innovation.
"At a time when the global defense and aerospace sectors are undergoing rapid transformation — driven by technological innovation, evolving security challenges, and shifting industrial landscapes — Belgium and the Republic of Korea are particularly well placed to further strengthen their cooperation," Jans said.
The ambassador continued to stress Belgium's cutting edge, export ready technologies as well as the country's highly skilled industrial base and strong integration into European and transatlantic aerospace frameworks. He also underlined Belgium’s strategic role as a gateway to Europe, noting that the country hosts key international institutions including NATO and facilities of the European Space Agency.
"Korea, for its part, brings world class industrial capabilities, technological excellence, a strong track record of innovation, agility as well as global reach and competitiveness. To put it simply: our respective strengths are highly complementary," he said.
Adrien Lacroix, trade and investment counsellor at WalloniaExport-Investment Agencyspeaks during the "Belgium-Korea Defence & Aerospace for Building Partnerships, Creating Opportunities" held at the Westin Josun Seoul in central Seoul, May 12. Korea Times photo by Anna J. Park
Jans also described the forum as “an excellent opportunity to establish new connections, foster mutual understanding and build trust,” expressing hope that the event would lay “the groundwork for more structured and lasting partnerships in the future.”
The forum was organized with the participation of regional investment agencies, such as the WalloniaExport-Investment Agencyand Flanders Investment & Trade, and was supported by the European Chamber of Commerce in Korea, the Korea Aerospace Industries Association and the Korea Research Institute for Defense Technology Planning and Advancement. Major Belgian defense companies including FN Herstal, Xenics, Intersoft Electronics and John Cockerill Defense also joined the event.
Source: Korea Times News
