{"id":2200099,"date":"2023-02-16T02:59:38","date_gmt":"2023-02-16T02:59:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nknews.org\/koreapro\/?p=2200099"},"modified":"2023-04-05T16:09:44","modified_gmt":"2023-04-05T07:09:44","slug":"rok-defense-minister-to-visit-uae-and-poland-for-talks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/koreapro.org\/2023\/02\/rok-defense-minister-to-visit-uae-and-poland-for-talks\/","title":{"rendered":"ROK defense minister to visit UAE and Poland for talks"},"content":{"rendered":"
Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup will <\/span>travel<\/span><\/a> to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Saturday to meet with his Emirati counterpart, Mohammed Ahmed Al Bowardi to focus on follow-up measures for defense cooperation as agreed by the two countries\u2019 leaders <\/span>last month<\/span><\/a>. Before departing, Lee will attend the <\/span>International Defense Exhibition & Conference<\/span><\/a> (IDEX) \u2014 a biennial arms and defense technology sales exhibition \u2014 to support South Korean defense companies looking to secure arms deals.<\/span><\/p>\n Lee will head to Poland on Wednesday for a three-day visit and hold talks with his Polish counterpart, Mariusz Blaszczak. The two sides will hold a signing ceremony for an agreement to create a consortium to manufacture K2 tanks and K9 howitzers in Poland as the two countries agreed last year. After the ceremony, they will review the progress on the $12.4 billion <\/span>arms deal<\/span><\/a> the two countries signed last year.<\/span><\/p>\n Why It Matters<\/b><\/p>\n The UAE signed a $3.5 billion <\/span>deal<\/span><\/a> to purchase the ROK\u2019s Cheongung II mid-range surface-to-air missiles in Jan. 2022. After Seoul and Abu Dhabi agreed to strengthen cooperation on defense last month, observers began to <\/span>speculate<\/span><\/a> that South Korea could export K2 tanks and possibly also KF-21 fighter jets to the UAE. The KF-21 is still in the testing phase and achieved <\/span>supersonic speeds<\/span><\/a> in a test flight for the first time last month. Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), KF-21\u2019s manufacturer, will require large international orders to cover research and development costs and remain profitable.<\/span><\/p>\n Lee\u2019s visit to Poland will be aimed more toward trust-building, as his meeting with Blaszczak will include a live demonstration of the K2 tanks\u2019 and K9 howitzers\u2019 firepower. Lee will use this demonstration and the signing ceremony for the consortium to manufacture the vehicles in Poland to secure a basis for entering other European markets. Hanwha Aerospace <\/span>signed<\/span><\/a> a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with ROMARM \u2014 Romania\u2019s state-run defense company \u2014 to export its K9 howitzers and Redback infantry fighting vehicles (IFV) earlier this month.<\/span><\/p>\n