An Iron Dome battery deployed in southern Israel. Photo: IDF via Wikimedia Commons.

The Jewish state’s Iron Dome aerial defense system could be used by South Korea to mitigate threats posed by North Korea, an Israeli diplomat said this past week, according to the Yonhap news agency.

“We are two small states which have very similar strategic situations,” Israeli Ambassador to South Korea Chaim Choshen was quoted as saying at a Korea Institute for Defense Analyses forum in Seoul on Thursday. “[South] Korea is threatened by North Korea and Israel is threatened by Iran. We have good cooperation in defense and security.”

“I am sure this cooperation is still very far from being exhausted and I hope so much this potential will be used in the future…particularly in the defense area,” he continued. “We may suggest some solutions to counter North Korean threats here.”

The Iron Dome, Choshen noted, has “enabled the government of Israel to be more flexible in managing the battlefield. Israel is developing today a broad range of missile defense systems with an aim of protecting the country from any type of missile attacks. We need to always win our wars. We have only one chance. If we lose even one war, this is the end of the State of Israel.”

Last month, it was reported that Azerbaijan was planning to acquire several Iron Dome batteries.

The Iron Dome, built by Israel’s Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, has shot down more than 1,300 incoming short-range rockets and mortar shells since its first operational interception in April 2011.

Earlier this year, as reported in The Algemeiner, Israel and South Korea announced they would hold free trade negotiations.

“A free trade agreement between Israel and South Korea will be a significant milestone in trade relations between the two countries and carry significant economic potential for them, as well as economic relations between Israel and Asian countries in general,” Israeli Economy Ministry Director-General Ami Lang said.