South Korea seeks bigger role in global arms bazaar

Officials stand at Korean aircraft industry Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) booth at the Baghdad International Fair for Defence and Security, March 1, 2014. REUTERS/Ahmed Saad

SEOUL (Reuters) - When South Korean president Park Geun-hye stopped off in Peru this week, her diplomatic tasks included drumming up interest in her country's home-grown light fighter jets.

While Park did not come away with a new contract, state-run Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) is in the running for a contract to supply Peru with 24 of its FA-50 fighter jets, worth as much as $2 billion (1.3 billion pounds).