Polish President Visits Hanwha Aerospace for K9 Howitzer Production Tour

CHANGWON: Polish President Andrzej Duda visited Hanwha Aerospace Co.'s facility in South Korea on Friday to observe the production operations of the K9 self-propelled howitzers, which the Korean defense company exports to Poland. According to Yonhap News Agency, President Duda's visit to the manufacturing site in Changwon was part of his broader state visit to South Korea. During his tour, he was accompanied by Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan, with whom he discussed strategies to enhance defense cooperation between Hanwha and Poland. Hanwha Aerospace has been a key partner for Poland since 2014, exporting 120 K9 chassis to the European nation. The collaboration was significantly bolstered in 2022 when Hanwha secured a contract valued at 8.2 trillion won (approximately US$5.9 billion) to supply Poland with 212 K9 howitzers and 218 Chunmoo rocket launchers. This agreement was followed by another lucrative contract last year, worth 5.6 trillion won. The visit underscores the ongoing partnership an d shared commitment to defense collaboration between Poland and Hanwha Aerospace, as both parties continue to explore avenues for further cooperation.