(LEAD) S. Korea, UAE agree to expand partnership in investment forum

Seoul, September 16 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) reached agreement on Wednesday to bolster their partnership in high-tech fields, ranging from digital assets and gaming to autonomous vehicles, during a forum organized by the UAE's investment office. Officials from the UAE government and South Korean firms signed seven memorandums of understanding (MOUs) at the Abu Dhabi Investment Forum Seoul 2026, or ADIF Seoul, which took place in southern Seoul, according to the science ministry.

The event, hosted by the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), a UAE government body tasked with luring foreign investment, marked the first time the forum has been held in South Korea this year. Local companies that signed the MOUs include Hanwha Life Insurance Co. and Kakao Mobility, the taxi-hailing platform run by Kakao Corp. Second Vice Science Minister Ryu Jae-Myung also attended the event and affirmed South Korea's commitment to fostering investment and industry collaboration with the UAE in digital and other advanced sectors.