Chilean Navy and Korean Coast Guard Sign Maritime Cooperation Agreement

The Chilean Navy, through the General Directorate of Maritime Territory and Merchant Marine (Directemar), signed a cooperation agreement with the Coast Guard of the Republic of Korea that strengthens the safeguarding of maritime routes under the jurisdiction of both nations.

The agreement was finalized within the framework of the President of Korea's official visit to the South American country. The pact was signed in the presence of the Presidents of Chile, José Antonio Kast, and the Republic of Korea, Lee Jae-myung. It also included the participation of the Commander-in-Chief of the Chilean Navy, Admiral Fernando Cabrera, with the alliance being signed by the Director of Directemar, Vice Admiral Arturo Oxley.

The agreement addresses several areas that will allow coordinated work between the Chilean Navy and its Korean counterpart to combat illegal fishing, organized crime that uses maritime routes for drug trafficking and other substances, and to protect human life and marine fauna. Furthermore, it will facilitate professional exchange between both institutions.

Admiral Cabrera stated that "an agreement of this nature allows us to exchange experiences, technology, and information between navies. We began preparing this agreement a couple of years ago, when we envisioned how the Chilean Navy could collaborate with the Republic of Korea, mainly on issues of combating drug trafficking; this based on data indicating some flows from Asia to Chile, where Korea, obviously, holds a prominent place and with whom we wanted to exchange information."

"To achieve this, we developed a memorandum of understanding, and that is what we are consolidating today, which will allow us to advance in areas of mutually beneficial cooperation," said the Commander-in-Chief of the Navy.