In the face of growing global turmoil, the EU is looking for allies, and South Korea perfectly meets these expectations. A top-level meeting will be held on Wednesday aimed at strengthening cooperation in technology, defense and industry.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung will meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President Antonio Costa for over two hours of conversation – this will be the first meeting of this type in three years.
— The summit also represents an important opportunity for the EU to deepen cooperation on economic security with South Korea, which is a key partner in risk reduction, says Alexander Lipke, an analyst at the European Council on Foreign Relations.
One of the key objectives will be to launch a new Competitiveness Partnership to improve cooperation on trade, investment and economic security. These types of dialogues are currently only held with Japan and India. The two sides will also sign the digital trade agreement negotiated last year.
However, a significant part of the talks will concern defense – in this area, South Korean weapons producers are becoming more and more important for a rapidly arming Europe. The two sides signed a security and defense partnership in November 2024.
Important contracts with Europe
South Korean companies have become important suppliers to European militaries, which are rushing to buy weapons to deter Russia. However, they may also become rivals to established arms producers in the EU.
The largest buyer of Korean weapons is Poland, which signed multi-billion dollar contracts for 362 K9A1 Thunder self-propelled howitzers, 360 K2 Black Panther tanks, 288 K239 Chunmoo missile launchers and 48 FA-50 light combat aircraft.
In 2022–2024, Poland accounted for almost half of South Korea's arms exports. A key advantage of this collaboration was the speed of delivery that American competitors could not match.
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Another large customer of South Korea was Romania, which purchased 54 K9 howitzers and 36 K10 supply vehicles. The agreement between the countries also included the launch of production by Hanwha Aerospace in Romania.
Korean companies also sold to Estonia, Norway and Finland – mainly K9 howitzers.
— The Baltic and Eastern European countries were the first to reassess their combat capability needs after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014, says Kevin Martin, a researcher at the Paris-based Foundation for Strategic Research. He believed the K9 was one of the few artillery systems on the market that met their requirements. — Equipment from South Korea is attractive because it is delivered quickly, meets the operational requirements of European countries and is compliant with NATO standards, he adds.
South Korea in SAFE?
According to Martin, South Korea is also gaining market share thanks to Europe's growing concerns about excessive dependence on the USespecially at a time when Donald Trump is questioning his country's traditional security relationship with the continent.
South Korea could benefit from the new SAFE arms purchase loan program worth EUR 150 billion (PLN 637 billion). However, due to the pressure to favor EU industry, companies from third countries may only account for 35%. the ultimate value of the weapon systems financed under the program.
— Member states have largely decided how they will spend their SAFE funds and are now starting public procurement of these funds, says an EU official.
South Korea was interested in a special deal that would allow for greater participation in the program — something only Canada has achieved — but there is no agreement on it.
On Tuesday, Andrius Kubilius, EU Commissioner for Defense and Space, also raised the issue of South Korea's possible future participation in the European Defense Union. This is a still emerging concept aimed at closer integration of the continent's defense and military-industrial complexes.
Kubilius told POLITICO that participation in such a body could “theoretically” be open to South Korea, as well as other countries such as Britain, Norway and Ukraine, and possibly Canada and Turkey.
He added that it is still not certain when the proposal to create a defense union will be presented, but it may take place after the NATO summit in Ankara, which will be held in early July.
I’m Ashley Davis as an editor, I’m committed to upholding the highest standards of integrity and accuracy in every piece we publish. My work is driven by curiosity, a passion for truth, and a belief that journalism plays a crucial role in shaping public discourse. I strive to tell stories that not only inform but also inspire action and conversation.
