President Yoon Suk Yeol (R) and Polish President Andrzej Duda speak during a joint press conference at the presidential office in Seoul on Oct. 24, 2024. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Oct. 24 (Korea Bizwire) – President Yoon Suk Yeol and his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda, condemned North Korea’s troop deployment to Russia and agreed to strengthen security and defense industry cooperation during their summit Thursday.
Yoon and Duda voiced concerns over the growing military ties between Pyongyang and Moscow after South Korea and the United States confirmed North Korea sent its troops to Russia, potentially in support of its war with Ukraine.
“We strongly condemned North Korea’s nuclear and missile development, provocations and its illegal military cooperation with Russia,” Yoon said during a joint press conference.
“We particularly agreed that North Korea’s troop dispatch to Russia, in direct violation of the U.N. Charter and U.N. Security Council resolutions, is a provocation that threatens global security beyond the Korean Peninsula and Europe.”
Yoon also pledged support for South Korea’s efforts to sign an additional deal with Poland to supply K2 tanks by the end of the year, estimated at around US$7 billion.
In 2022, Poland signed major defense contracts with South Korea, valued at 17 trillion won (US$12.4 billion), to purchase K2 tanks, K9 self-propelled howitzers, FA-50 light attack aircraft and Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers to bolster its military capabilities amid Russia-Ukraine war.
Following the initial agreements, Poland signed a $2.67 billion deal for K9 in December 2023 and a $1.64 billion agreement for Chunmoo rocket systems in April.
On the last day of Duda’s four-day state visit on Friday, the Polish president will visit major defense companies, including Hyundai Rotem, the maker of the K2 tank, and Hanwha Aerospace, the manufacturer of the K9 howitzer.
The two leaders also agreed to activate regular consultation mechanisms between their defense and military authorities to enhance cooperation and collaborate on Ukraine’s reconstruction efforts.
In addition, they committed to expanding collaboration in energy, infrastructure and advanced technologies, including batteries, electric vehicles, robotics and clean energy, according to Yoon’s office.
(Yonhap)
