Cho Tae-yul: “All-out Government Support to Enhance Defense Cooperation between the Two Countries”
Both Ministers: “Defense Cooperation to Continue Undeterred”
On the 5th (local time), Cho Tae-yul, South Korea’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, held talks with Radosław Sikorski, Poland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, in Warsaw, Poland. During their meeting, both ministers discussed expediting the second implementation contract for K2 tanks, which had been temporarily halted due to an emergency martial law situation. They agreed to extend full support, including intergovernmental consultations, to swiftly finalize the contract.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two ministers exchanged views on bilateral relations, the situation on the Korean Peninsula, the war in Ukraine, and other significant regional and international affairs during a one-on-one meeting and luncheon. Afterward, they signed an “Action Plan for Implementing the 2025-2028 South Korea-Poland Strategic Partnership.”
Minister Cho expressed his pleasure at being the first South Korean Foreign Minister to visit Poland in six years and officially in 18 years, following Minister Sikorski’s invitation. He highlighted the progress in the strategic partnership through mutual visits planned for 2023-2024 and emphasized ongoing high-level exchanges between the countries.
Minister Cho underscored the importance of defense cooperation between the two nations, noting that a delegation from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration accompanied him to showcase the government’s comprehensive support for enhancing defense ties.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the two ministers recognized the unprecedented scale of defense cooperation as a critical pillar in the development of South Korea-Poland relations. They agreed to continue pursuing defense cooperation without wavering, identifying each other as optimal strategic partners in national defense and security.
Minister Cho also emphasized economic collaboration in energy and infrastructure sectors, noting that Poland is South Korea’s fifth-largest trading partner within the EU as of last year. He requested special support and assurance for South Korean companies operating in Poland. Minister Sikorski reciprocated by highlighting South Korea as Poland’s second-largest non-EU investor and the largest from Asia.
Regarding the Ukraine War, Minister Cho stated that North Korea should not receive any rewards for illegal acts during peace negotiations. He acknowledged Poland’s proactive support as a neighboring country to Ukraine and affirmed South Korea’s ongoing humanitarian and financial support, along with cooperation with Poland and the international community for Ukraine’s permanent peace and post-war reconstruction efforts.
The ministers also agreed on several other fronts, including strengthening cross-regional security cooperation between Europe and the Indo-Pacific under the NATO-IP4 partnership, a unified and resolute response for the complete denuclearization of North Korea and the promotion of human rights, as well as on other regional and international issues like the Ukraine War and the Northeast Asia situation.