▲ South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (L) and Polish President Andrzej Duda pose for a photo during their summit talks at the presidential palace in Warsaw on July 13, 2023. (Yonhap)
▲ South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (2nd from L) holds talks with Polish President Andrzej Duda (2nd from R) at the presidential palace in Warsaw on July 13, 2023. (Yonhap)
▲ South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol (R), accompanied by Polish President Andrzej Duda, inspects an honor guard during a welcome ceremony for Yoon at the presidential palace in Warsaw on July 13, 2023. (Yonhap)

S Korea-Poland-summit

Yoon says S. Korea, Poland are 'optimal partners' for Ukraine reconstruction

By Lee Haye-ah

WARSAW, July 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said Thursday that he and Polish President Andrzej Duda discussed strategic cooperation in nuclear energy, arms and infrastructure and agreed the two countries are "optimal partners" for Ukraine's reconstruction.

Yoon made the remark during a joint press briefing following a summit with Duda, noting the two countries have already made large strides in their strategic partnership established in 2013, with bilateral trade reaching a record US$9 billion last year and South Korea becoming a key investor in Poland.

"We noted South Korean businesses' expansion into cutting-edge industries in Poland, such as electric vehicle batteries and 5G networks, and agreed to work together to secure a future growth engine for both countries," he said during the briefing at the presidential palace.

Yoon said he and Duda agreed that nuclear energy development is the optimal means to achieve both energy security and carbon neutrality, and to actively support cooperation between the two countries' businesses for the successful construction of nuclear power plants in Poland.

He also said the two leaders agreed to work harder to ensure mutually beneficial cooperation in the defense industry following Poland's purchases of 20 trillion won (US$15.6 billion) worth of K2 tanks, K9 self-propelled howitzers and FA-50 fighters from South Korea last year.

"We also agreed on the point that South Korea and Poland can become optimal partners for the reconstruction of Ukraine," Yoon said, adding he is confident a pair of memorandums of understanding signed between the two governments -- one on infrastructure cooperation and the other on cooperation for Ukraine's reconstruction -- will provide a good foundation for expanding cooperation between their businesses.

"We agreed to band together to defend the rules-based international order," he continued. "We viewed Russia's invasion of Ukraine as a challenge to the freedom, human rights and rule of law of the international community, and agreed to continue assistance to end the war and restore peace."

Yoon said he and Duda strongly condemned North Korea's launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile the previous day and committed to responding firmly to make North Korea immediately halt its nuclear and missile development, together with the international community.

"We also strongly denounced the fact that the North Korean regime is continuing its nuclear and missile development while ignoring the North Korean people's human rights and right to live," he said.

"We agreed to double our joint efforts to improve North Korea's human rights situation while blocking North Korea's illegal exports of labor and cyber activities," he added.

Yoon arrived in Warsaw the previous day on a three-day official visit after attending a North Atlantic Treaty Organization summit in Lithuania.

This is Yoon's first bilateral visit to a European nation since taking office. He is also the first South Korean president to pay an official visit to Warsaw since Lee Myung-bak in 2009.

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