South Korea is expected to finalize another major arms deal with Poland as early as next month, government officials said Sunday.
The proposed agreement, valued at approximately 9 trillion won ($6.2 billion), would see Seoul exporting an additional 180 K2 Black Panther main battle tanks to Poland.
This follows the initial agreement signed in July 2022, under which South Korea committed to providing Poland with K2 tanks, K9 self-propelled howitzers, FA-50 light attack aircraft, and Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers. In August 2022, Korea signed its first contract with Poland worth $12.4 billion, covering the shipment of 180 K2 tanks, 212 K9 howitzers, and 48 FA-50 jets. Since then, both sides have been working to finalize a follow-up deal for additional K2 tanks.
Negotiations for the second contract were initially expected to conclude last year but faced delays due to disagreements between the Polish government and a local defense company over specific contractual details. The process was further complicated by political instability in South Korea following the temporary martial law declaration by impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol on December 3.
During a recent bilateral foreign ministers’ meeting in Warsaw, officials from both nations reaffirmed their commitment to expediting the finalization of the second contract.
The two governments also pledged to strengthen broader defense cooperation, signaling Poland’s continued reliance on South Korean military hardware to modernize its armed forces.