The Polish Defense Minister, Mariusz Błaszczak, has announced plans to strengthen military cooperation with South Korea by initiating the domestic production of South

Korean weaponry in Polish factories. This declaration was made during a press conference held in Warsaw and was reported by the Polish state news agency.

Minister Błaszczak's statement came after productive discussions with his South Korean counterpart, Lee Jong-sup, in the Polish capital earlier that day. The talks primarily revolved around enhancing bilateral military relations, modernizing the Polish armed forces, and expanding arms collaboration between Poland and South Korea, as stated by officials.

Błaszczak emphasized the substantial progress achieved through the ongoing bilateral cooperation, especially in bolstering the Polish army and pursuing a deterrence policy to ensure security and peace. He pointed out that recent acquisitions of South Korean military equipment, including K2 tanks, K9 gun howitzers, and FA-50 light combat aircraft, were showcased to the public during Poland's Armed Forces Day military parade in mid-August.

Moreover, the FA-50 aircraft participated in the prestigious Radom Air Show last weekend, further highlighting the successful collaboration between the two nations. Błaszczak announced that they are now gearing up for the second phase of their cooperation, which involves domestic production of this equipment within Poland.

The Defense Minister also revealed that the Polish army would demonstrate its proficiency with South Korean-provided weapons during an upcoming exercise in the northern town of Orzysz on September 17. This exercise will showcase the effectiveness of South Korean equipment operated by Polish crews. Notably, the exercise will feature the newly acquired K239 Chunmoo artillery rocket launchers, capable of striking targets up to 300 kilometers away, as reported by the PAP news agency. Photo by 대한민국 국군 Republic of Korea Armed Forces, Wikimedia commons.