Yoon Begins Schedule for Korea-Poland Summit... From Defense and Nuclear Power to Reconstruction Projects

First South Korean President Visit in 14 Years... Talks Followed by Joint Press Conference
Yoon: "Strengthening Poland's Defense Significantly Contributes to Bilateral Defense Cooperation"

President Yoon Suk-yeol and Polish President Andrzej Duda began their Korea-Poland summit schedule on the 13th (local time) in Warsaw with an official welcoming ceremony. The two leaders are expected to discuss expanding the strategic partnership between the two countries from defense industry, nuclear power, and transportation infrastructure to Ukraine reconstruction projects.

President Yoon and First Lady Kim Keon-hee arrived at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw in the morning and were welcomed by President Duda and his spouse. President Yoon exchanged greetings with the Polish side and then introduced his delegation to President Duda. Following the summit, the two leaders will hold a joint press conference to announce their agreements.

President Yoon Suk-yeol and First Lady Kim Keon-hee, who are on an official visit to Poland, salute the national flag along with President Andrzej Duda of Poland and his spouse at the official welcoming ceremony held at the Presidential Palace in Warsaw on the 13th (local time).
[Photo by Yonhap News]

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the establishment of the strategic partnership between the two countries, and President Yoon plans to concretize various cooperation plans in strategic sectors such as defense, nuclear power, and infrastructure through the summit. This reflects the assessment that economic cooperation between Korea and Poland is expanding. In a contribution to Poland’s leading daily newspaper 'Rzeczpospolita,' President Yoon evaluated, "Despite the global economic downturn, Korea-Poland trade volume reached a record high of $9 billion in 2022, and currently over 350 Korean companies have entered Poland, contributing to economic cooperation between the two countries."

Accompanying this visit is an economic delegation of 89 business leaders from key companies including LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo and Hanwha Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan, as well as companies in the secondary battery, defense, nuclear power, and construction sectors. The Presidential Office added, "With the two leaders present, about 250 businesspeople from both countries are expected to sign numerous memorandums of understanding (MOUs) in fields such as new industries, energy, and infrastructure."

President Yoon’s expectations are also high. He evaluated, "The export contracts for K2 tanks and K9 self-propelled howitzers signed with Poland last year are unprecedented in scale and will greatly contribute not only to strengthening Poland’s defense capabilities but also to defense cooperation between the two countries."

President Yoon also expressed his intention to closely cooperate with Poland to support Ukraine. He stated, "The Republic of Korea and Poland, as value partners defending freedom and democracy, have spoken with one voice in leading international peace. We intend to cooperate together in the post-war settlement of peace and reconstruction process in Ukraine."

Poland is the closest neighboring country to Ukraine and is expected to become a hub for post-war reconstruction. For this reason, President Yoon plans to meet with Korean companies participating in Ukraine reconstruction projects during his visit to Poland to discuss government support measures. President Yoon has already clearly expressed his support intentions to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the G7 Hiroshima Summit. The Presidential Office stated that the two leaders agreed on the necessity of Korea-Poland cooperation for Ukraine’s reconstruction and recovery after the summit and officially confirmed Korean companies’ participation in reconstruction projects.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.