Overview

• President Lee Jae Myung held his first talks with Polish President Karol Nawrocki on Sept. 24 in New York on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly.
• Both leaders said cooperation centered on tanks and other systems has advanced and agreed to further expand it to deliver mutually beneficial results for companies.
• Lee voiced hopes for closer collaboration on Poland’s submarine acquisition effort, which envisions three to four 3,000‑ton boats under the Orka program valued at more than 3 trillion won (about US$2.25 billion).
• South Korean firm Hanwha is pursuing the Orka opportunity, and Korean media report Hanwha Ocean is exploring a bid that could include investment in Polish shipyards and local construction.
• The two also discussed regional security issues including the Korean Peninsula and Ukraine, as Poland has become a major market for Korean defense exports in recent years.