WARSAW, Poland (AP) — The presidents of South Korea and Poland on Thursday pledged to strengthen their security, business and trade relations.
South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and his delegation met with his Polish host, President Andrzej Duda and government members at the Presidential Palace.
“With President Duda, we discussed in depth the development of the strategic relations between the two countries,” Yoon said after the talks.
“We will support efforts for increasing investment and trade,” Yoon said, noting that bilateral trade turnover in 2022 was some $9 million, the highest in the 34-year-long relations. That makes Poland the biggest recipient of South Korea's investment last year, partly from Poland's purchases of South Korea's military equipment.
The two presidents watched as government ministers from both countries signed agreements on developing cooperation in infrastructure and modern technologies, as well as on cooperation in the future rebuilding of Ukraine, Poland's neighbour, which is fighting Russia's military invasion.
Duda said Poland is seeking cooperation with South Korean companies in producing military equipment, like tanks, in Poland's armaments plants.
He said prospects for developing bilateral economic ties are "excellent."
Yoon also met with Poland's right-wing Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and was to meet speakers of both chambers of parliament.
On Friday, Yoon and Duda are to address a Polish-Korean economic forum.
Yoon came to Warsaw after attending a NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania, where he sought to deepen ties with the military alliance amid global security threats including Russia’s war on Ukraine and North Korea’s illicit nuclear program.
Poland is buying some $17 billion worth of advanced military equipment from South Korea. The purchase is meant to upgrade Poland’s defense potential and fill in for the older equipment that Poland has offered to Ukraine, like the Soviet-made MiG-29 fighter jets.
Among the purchased equipment, some of which has already arrived in Poland, are Korea's K9 howitzers, K2 tanks, Chunmoo missile launchers and FA-50 training and fighter jets.
Poland buys more from South Korea than it exports there, leaving a trade imbalance in Seoul's favor.
