President Lee Jae-myung proposed to Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk during their summit on Tuesday that the two countries "strengthen cooperation in future-oriented fields beyond defense." Tusk responded that "Korea is the most important ally after the United States," emphasizing the expansion of bilateral partnership.
President Lee held an extended meeting with Prime Minister Tusk at Cheong Wa Dae and stated that "Poland is Korea's fifth-largest trading partner among European Union countries." He noted that "bilateral defense cooperation has grown even stronger, as evidenced by the comprehensive contract worth $44.2 billion signed in 2022," citing Korean defense equipment contracted with Poland including K2 tanks, K9 self-propelled howitzers, FA-50 light combat aircraft, and Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers.
"Defense cooperation between our two countries goes beyond simple weapons sales," Lee said. "It is even more meaningful in that it contributes to developing Poland's defense ecosystem through reciprocal cooperation including joint production, technology transfer, and training within Poland."
President Lee and Prime Minister Tusk agreed to elevate bilateral relations to a "Comprehensive Strategic Partnership." The upgrade comes 12 years after the two countries established a Strategic Partnership in 2013. President Lee said he requested Tusk's support for Korean electric vehicle battery investment companies, participation in new airport connection and Warsaw tram replacement projects, and joint research and personnel exchanges.
Prime Minister Tusk also acknowledged the importance of defense cooperation and emphasized expanding it into comprehensive cooperation. "Regarding beef exports, President Lee said he would resolve this immediately," Tusk said. "This has shown hope and positive aspects to many Polish citizens."
"Like President Lee, I also worked as a laborer at a young age," Tusk added. "I am grateful that President Lee has shown exemplary leadership during a difficult time for Korea." The remark was interpreted as a reference to Korea's peaceful overcoming of the December 3, 2024 martial law crisis.
The two leaders also agreed to continue cooperation, sharing concerns over the importance of stabilizing global supply chains amid the prolonged conflict in the Middle East. At the official luncheon that followed, attended by Korean business leaders, President Lee noted that "Korean companies such as Daewoo and LG made bold investments during Poland's transition to a market economy in the 1990s, which became an important pillar of Poland's economic growth." Prime Minister Tusk drew laughter by responding that "except for Korea's national team defeating Poland and eliminating us during the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, there has never been an unfortunate incident between our two countries."
