AreaRead the video transcript here
Changwon, South Korea
This is where Europe's hunger for weapons is satisfied. Hanwha Aerospace in Changwon, South Korea, is now the world's leading manufacturer of howitzers. At this factory on the southern coast of the country, the production of artillery pieces destined for Poland is pending.
Morag, Poland August 26, 2022
It is part of the equivalent of around 13 billion euros in arms deal that the South Korean government concluded with Poland last summer – the country's largest arms deal. NATO member Poland is arming itself in the face of the Ukraine war and the threat posed by Russia. And according to South Korean sources, it is not the only European interested party.
Oh Kyeahwan, Director of Hanwha Aerospace
"The Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania used to buy armaments only in Europe. But now it's better known that you can also buy them from South Korean companies at a low price - and have them delivered quickly."
For Poland, South Korea's offer to provide the weapons faster than almost any competitor was a decisive factor. Germany, for example, could not keep up.
Oskar Pietrewicz, military analyst
: "Given the limited production capacities of the German arms industry, which is a major supplier of weapons in the region, the interest of countries in South Korea's supply can only grow. For example, Hungary ordered 2018 Leopard tanks from Germany in 44, none of which have yet been delivered."
The deal with Poland includes hundreds of rocket launchers, howitzers, tanks and fighter jets. All weapons should be compatible with NATO systems. In order to facilitate deliveries, the weapons could even be produced in Poland in the future.
Kim Hyoung Cheol, defence agency DAPA:
"We will supply Poland with the technology, using the capabilities of the Polish defence industry. We could produce together and export the weapons systems to neighboring countries."
However, the Polish Ministry of Defense has not confirmed such extensive cooperation with the South Koreans.
The new armourers in East Asia owe their know-how to their location as a frontline state to North Korea. The tensions around the South China Sea between Taiwan and China are already making the Indo-Pacific a new hotbed of rearmament.
The Ukraine war is now bringing South Korean manufacturers a breakthrough in Europe. The big deal with Poland is seen as a door opener for further exports to NATO countries – and will pave the way for Seoul's ambitions to become a world-class arms supplier.