South Korea signed a preliminary agreement with Spain to set up an aviation training center in the southwestern European country, a move that could pave the way for Seoul to sell its advanced trainer jet to Madrid, defense ministry officials here said Thursday.

   Under the deal signed Wednesday in Seoul, defense officials from the two nations will begin talks on building the training center in Spain that will use South Korea's T-50 Golden Eagle jets, ministry officials said.

   If finalized, South Korea will send the trainer jets and its instructors to Spain to train pilots there, according to officials.

   "If we make inroads into Spain, it will serve as a good opportunity to advertise the T-50 in European nations," a ministry official said on the condition of anonymity.

Jointly developed by South Korea's sole aircraft maker, Korea Aerospace Industries, and U.S. defense giant Lockheed Martin, South Korea rolled out the T-50 Golden Eagle in 2005, making it the world's 12th supersonic jet producer.

   South Korea has pushed to export the T-50, which can be upgraded to a multi-role fighter jet, but its bids to sell the aircraft overseas had failed because of a high price tag.

Source: Yonhap News (March 3, 2011)