South Korea and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization have signed an arrangement to launch the mutual recognition process for military airworthiness certification, Seoul's defense procurement agency said Thursday.

Representatives from Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration and the NATO Aviation Committee inked it at NATO headquarters in Brussels on Wednesday, in a move to strengthen bilateral cooperation on air safety.

Airworthiness is a key measure of a plane's suitability for safe flight. If the bilateral recognition process is complete, it would mean NATO will recognize the Seoul government's airworthiness certification for a South Korean-made plane, according to DAPA.

South Korea is the first Asian country seeking a mutual recognition of airworthiness certification with NATO. It currently has mutual recognition agreements with the United States, Spain, France and Australia.

Kim Jheen-ong, director general of DAPA's Defense Industry Promotion Bureau, expressed his expectations that the South Korea-NATO mutual recognition, if realized, will help enhance the competitiveness of South Korea's aircraft exports. (Yonhap)