South Korea interested in Iron Dome, Rafael head says

South Korea is one of several countries interested in purchasing the Iron Dome missile defense system, the head of the company that developed the array said Sunday.

Yedidia Yaari, CEO of Iron Dome manufacturer Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd., told Israel’s Army Radio that the system’s high success rate had piqued foreign interest, Reuters reported.

Referring to South Korea, Ya’ari said, “It is very worried not only about rockets, but other things as well … You can certainly include them in the club of interested countries,” Ya’ari said, adding that Rafael officials had recently visited Seoul.

Yaari did not indicate how close a deal with South Korea is.

Iron Dome has yet to be sold to foreign countries, though reports have indicated a number of interested parties, including Singapore.

The short-range missile defense system, developed with American funding, has been highly effective in the current round of violence between Israel and Hamas, intercepting hundreds of rockets headed toward major population centers in Israel.

Israeli officials say it has a success rate as high as 90 percent.