The Boeing logo is seen on the side of a Boeing 737 MAX at the Farnborough International Airshow, in Farnborough, Britain, in this July 20, 2022 file photo. Reuters-Yonhap

Korea's industry ministry said Tuesday it has discussed ways to broaden cooperation in the aviation, space and defense sectors with U.S. aviation giant Boeing.

Industrial Policy Director General Lee Seung-ryeol met Patty Chang-Chien, the vice president and general manager of Boeing Research & Technology, in Seoul to discuss bilateral cooperation, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

During the meeting, Lee expressed hope that the U.S. company continues to pay attention to technologies under development among Korean firms and Boeing so that they can be applied to aircraft.

Since 2020, Korean companies and Boeing have been collaborating on the development of a smart cabin system for civil aircraft, funded with a budget of 11.8 billion won ($8.48 million).

They have also invested 28 billion won in developing a health monitoring artificial intelligence system since 2022, which focuses on identifying irregular patterns in the operational data of airplanes.

In response, the U.S. firm said the Boeing Korea Engineering & Technology Center launched in 2019 is an example of a mutually beneficial investment, noting that the company will continue to expand research and development projects in Korea.

Lee also asked Boeing to make efforts to clinch business partnerships with more Korean firms, noting that the U.S. aviation firm has been playing a key role in the global supply chain. (Yonhap)