Andrzej Duda, the President of Poland, who plays a key role in supporting the Ukraine war and guarding the eastern front of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), praised the import of Korean weapons, stating it takes only “one year from order to delivery.”
On the 6th (local time), President Duda held a press conference at NATO headquarters with Secretary General Mark Rutte and explained that Poland had purchased a large quantity of weapons from the United States and Korea, highlighting the reasons for choosing Korean weapons.
He stated, “The reason we bought Korean weapons is very simple,” and noted, “We judged that our Korean partners could supply the latest weapons within a few months.”
President Duda mentioned South Korea’s main ground weapons for the army, such as the K2 tank, indigenous self-propelled artillery K9, and multiple rocket launcher Chunmoo, emphasizing “only one year from order to delivery.” He added that “it takes several years with other partners.”
Poland, which shares a border with Ukraine, allocates the largest percentage of its GDP to defense spending among NATO member countries. This year’s defense spending is expected to be about 4.7% of GDP.
In July 2022, Poland signed a comprehensive defense export agreement worth $44.2 billion (approximately 60.92 trillion won) with the Korean government.
According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Cho Tae-yong, who is officially visiting Poland, met with Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defense Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz on the 6th. They expected strategic cooperation development, including in the security defense area, between Korea and the European Union (EU) through cooperation with Poland.
Deputy Prime Minister Kosiniak-Kamysz emphasized his intention to proceed with follow-up contracts for the defense comprehensive contract signed in 2022 without any glitches.
Furthermore, Minister Cho expressed his gratitude during a courtesy visit to President Duda for the Polish government leaders’ unwavering commitment to bilateral cooperation, including in the defense sector, and trust in Korean democracy despite Korea’s recent domestic political challenges.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs conveyed President Duda’s hope for the swift conclusion of the second implementation contract for the K2 tanks, with mutual beneficial defense cooperation such as local production in Poland being realized.