Why South Korea faces an uphill battle in bid for Poland’s Orka sub program



Analysis Why South Korea faces an uphill battle in bid for Poland’s Orka sub program Fierce competition and geography may hinder Seoul’s latest bid to elevate global defense presence John LeeSeptember 11, 2023 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON South Korea's inaugural 3,000-ton KSS-III submarine, part of a planned fleet of nine, is unveiled at the Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) shipyard on Geoje Island, near Busan, Sept. 14, 2018 \| Image: Presidential Archives of Korea Poland’s Orka submarine program aims to modernize and fortify the country’s maritime defenses by procuring advanced vessels that can serve as deterrents in the Baltic Sea. After a wave of successful weapons sales to Poland, South Korea has expressed interest in bidding for the Orka project. But despite Seoul’s proven track record of arms sales to Warsaw, a multitude of challenges make it difficult to extend this cooperation into Polish waters. Poland’s Orka submarine program aims to modernize and fortify the country’s maritime defenses by procuring advanced vessels that can serve as deterrents in the Baltic Sea. After a wave of successful weapons sales to Poland, South Korea has expressed interest in bidding for the Orka project. But despite Seoul’s proven track record of arms sales to Warsaw, a multitude of challenges make it difficult to extend this cooperation into Polish waters. Get 30 days of free access to KoreaPro Full access to all analysis The KOREA PRO newsletter, every business day Daily analysis on the top story of the day The ability to suggest topics for coverage by our specialist team Be smart about South Korea Get full access to expert analysis and opinion. Start now No charges during your trial. Cancel anytime. A paid subscription will start after 30 days. © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. Get the Daily Briefing Start your day with the South Korea stories that matter most – as selected by And how should we address you in correspondence? One more step! Please check your inbox, for an email we just sent you, and click on the confirmation message in it to get subscribed to our Daily Briefing. LATEST ANALYSIS 01South Korea’s women-only universities weigh co-education as enrollments decline 02South Korea targets semiconductor self-reliance for national defense 03Employment for married South Korean women hits record but Devil is in details 04Trump’s return forces South Korea’s defense industry to adapt to new realities 05Lee Jae-myung verdict disrupts South Korea’s opposition party and 2027 election 06South Korea grapples with how to stymie crypto-fueled drug trade 07Science vs. Humanities: Why South Korean students switch their academic tracks 08How pro-Russian hackers took down South Korea websites over support for Ukraine

Analysis

Why South Korea faces an uphill battle in bid for Poland’s Orka sub program

Fierce competition and geography may hinder Seoul’s latest bid to elevate global defense presence

John LeeSeptember 11, 2023

Why South Korea faces an uphill battle in bid for Poland’s Orka sub program

South Korea's inaugural 3,000-ton KSS-III submarine, part of a planned fleet of nine, is unveiled at the Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME) shipyard on Geoje Island, near Busan, Sept. 14, 2018 | Image: Presidential Archives of Korea

Poland’s Orka submarine program aims to modernize and fortify the country’s maritime defenses by procuring advanced vessels that can serve as deterrents in the Baltic Sea.

After a wave of successful weapons sales to Poland, South Korea has expressed interest in bidding for the Orka project. But despite Seoul’s proven track record of arms sales to Warsaw, a multitude of challenges make it difficult to extend this cooperation into Polish waters.

Get 30 days
of free access to
KoreaPro

Full access to all analysis
The KOREA PRO newsletter, every business day
Daily analysis on the top story of the day
The ability to suggest topics for coverage by our specialist team

Be smart about South Korea

Get full access to expert analysis and opinion.

Start now

No charges during your trial. Cancel anytime. A paid subscription will start after 30 days.

Why South Korea faces an uphill battle in bid for Poland’s Orka sub program

Get 30 days
of free access to
KoreaPro

Be smart about South Korea

Get full access to expert analysis and opinion.

LATEST ANALYSIS

Similar Articles

About the Author

John Lee

Why South Korea faces an uphill battle in bid for Poland’s Orka sub program

Get 30 days of free access to KoreaPro

Be smart about South Korea

Get full access to expert analysis and opinion.

Start your day with the South Korea stories that matter most –

as selected by

One more step!

LATEST ANALYSIS

Similar Articles

About the Author

John Lee

Get 30 days
of free access to
KoreaPro

Start your day with
the South Korea stories that matter most –