Strengthening a strategic partnership: deputy minister Paweł Bejda meets South Korean defence delegation

On 14 November, Poland’s deputy minister of national defence Paweł Bejda held a working meeting with a delegation from the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Korea, led by Chong-Dae Won, vice minister for military resource management. The talks reflect the deepening Polish–Korean cooperation across the defence sector, which has accelerated significantly in recent years and now plays a growing role in shaping regional security.

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18 november 2025 | 08:41 | Source: Gazeta Morska | Prepared by: Kamil Kusier | Print

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Both delegations discussed key issues related to strategic stability, emerging threats and the evolving requirements of modern armed forces in all operational domains. The sides emphasised that the Polish–Korean partnership enhances interoperability, strengthens deterrence, and supports long-term capability development in a rapidly changing security environment.

South Korea – a key technological partner for Poland

Cooperation between Poland and South Korea has expanded from political dialogue into a wide-ranging industrial and technological relationship. Poland is currently the largest European customer for South Korean defence systems, benefiting from technology transfer, local industrial participation and comprehensive training programmes.

South Korean defence companies—renowned for advanced missile technologies, armoured platforms, command-and-control systems and naval engineering—are increasingly active in domains relevant to Poland’s maritime modernisation. As a major Indo-Pacific naval power with one of the world’s most capable shipbuilding industries, South Korea offers Poland not only modern platforms but also long-term industrial synergies.

For Poland, a Baltic nation investing heavily in strengthening its maritime posture, Korean experience in designing and constructing sophisticated naval platforms—including conventional submarines—has become an asset of growing strategic relevance.

Future directions for defence cooperation

Both sides underlined that the current level of cooperation lays a strong foundation for expanding joint initiatives in advanced technologies, digitalisation of the battlespace and the development of next-generation military capabilities. Prospective cooperation pathways also include joint R&D, industrial participation frameworks and deeper engagement in maritime and naval projects.

Orka submarine programme – bidders and strategic outlook

Although the Orka submarine programme remains formally in its analytical–conceptual phase, the engagement of leading global shipbuilders has given the project considerable momentum. According to the latest information, Poland is expected to announce the selected contractor by the end of November, marking a decisive step in the long-awaited recapitalisation of the submarine component of the Polish Navy.

In the competition—alongside the strong South Korean contenders Hanwha Ocean and HD Hyundai Heavy Industries—are several major European shipyards with extensive experience in conventional submarine construction, including:

TKMS (Germany) with the Type 212CD design,
Saab (Sweden) offering the A26 Blekinge-class,
Naval Group (France) with the Scorpène family,
Navantia (Spain) with the S-80 Plus design,
Fincantieri (Italy), leveraging proven Italian expertise in conventional submarine engineering.

The forthcoming decision will not only determine the future structure of Poland’s submarine force but could also significantly influence the development of the national shipbuilding and defence industry—through technology transfer, local production opportunities and long-term maintenance and lifecycle support.