South Korea Holds Talks with Romania and Poland to Enhance Defense Cooperation

On Tuesday, April 23, South Korean leaders met separately with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis and Polish Deputy Foreign Minister Pawel Bejda in Seoul to discuss strengthening defense industry cooperation.

According to reports from the Korean International Broadcasting Station, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol held talks with Romanian President Iohannis at the Blue House to discuss significantly enhancing cooperation in strategic areas such as defense, military industrial complex, and nuclear power generation.

The South Korean presidential office stated that both leaders agreed on the necessity to reinforce their strategic partnership in response to new geopolitical and geostrategic crises. Following the meeting, they issued a joint declaration titled “Strengthening the Strategic Partnership between Korea and Romania”.

The leaders of South Korea and Romania agreed to establish a partnership in military education, training exchanges, technical cooperation, and to advance discussions on defense and military issues through consultations at the level of defense ministry directors.

In November of last year, South Korea secured an order for portable surface-to-air missiles from Romania known as the “God’s Bow”, and is currently in discussions for the export of various weapon systems. The two countries also signed a memorandum of understanding on nuclear cooperation.

Furthermore, both sides expressed their intention to expand cooperation in trade, investment, science and technology, environment, port infrastructure, disaster safety management, and cultural fields.

Both countries strongly condemned North Korea’s nuclear weapons development and provocations, as well as North Korea’s military cooperation with Russia.

South Korean and Romanian leaders agreed to maintain cooperation in achieving North Korea’s denuclearization and upholding human rights. They also reaffirmed their commitment to providing humanitarian aid and support for reconstruction in Ukraine.

South Korean Defense Minister Shin Yeon-sik hosted a dinner on the 23rd for the visiting Polish Deputy Minister of Defense Pawel Bejda. Bejda is set to visit the Defense Science Research Institute (ADD) on the 24th to observe the test firing of the “Sky Bow” multiple rocket system.

During the visit, Polish military vehicles will for the first time use the Sky Bow launch system developed by Hanwha Aerospace for rocket missile launches. After the Sky Bow test launch, the two parties may immediately sign an export contract on-site.

With Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, South Korea has become a major player in global defense exports. This development has opened doors for South Korea to sign defense industry contracts with Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.