Global Courant 2023-05-29 13:52:31
STORY: South Korea is racing to become a major player in the global arms market and eager to tap into Europe’s appetite for arms.
In this factory on the south coast, automated robots and workers produce artillery vehicles destined for Poland.
It’s all run by Hanwha Aerospace, already the best maker of howitzers in the world.
The company is a big part of the $14 billion dollar arms deal the South Korean government struck with Poland last year — as Western countries scrambled to arm Ukraine and tensions ran high in areas from North Korea to the South. -China Sea.
Reuters spoke to more than a dozen executives and officials who say the deal will pave the way for Seoul’s ambitions to be a world-class arms supplier.
Hanwha Aerospace Director Oh Kyeahwan:
“Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and others thought about buying defense products only in Europe, but now it is more known that you can buy cheap and have it delivered quickly by South Korean companies as well.”
The deal was the largest ever of its kind in the country, promising hundreds of domestically designed rocket launchers, howitzers, tanks and fighter jets.
All of which are designed to be compatible with US and NATO systems.
Polish officials say South Korea’s offer to make weapons faster than almost anyone was an important consideration.
Ongoing tensions with North Korea mean that the South’s arms production is always on and constantly improving.
Oskar Pietrewicz, an analyst in Poland, contrasts that with Germany, another major arms supplier.
“Countries’ interest in South Korea’s supply will only increase given the limited production capacity of Germany’s defense industry, which is a major arms supplier to the region. And for example, in 2018, Hungary ordered 44 Leopard tanks from Germany and none have been delivered so far.”
South Korean officials told Reuters they have pitched Warsaw to produce their weapons in Poland for easier delivery.
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However, the Polish Ministry of National Defense did not respond to a written request for comment.
Last month, South Korean President Yoon Suk-Yeol told Reuters his country could expand aid to Ukraine beyond humanitarian and economic aid if it faces civilian attack on a large scale.
Since then, his government has approved the use of at least some South Korean weapon components in Ukraine.
