Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan will visit Poland, which is ordering three new 3,000-ton (t) class submarines. Kim is expected to join the special delegation led by Presidential Chief of Staff Kang Hoon-sik, who departed as the president's special envoy for strategic economic cooperation, to drive defense sales in Europe. Kim also visited Saudi Arabia last month and met with Saudi Minister of the National Guard Abdullah bin Bandar Al Saud.
According to the business community on Oct. 20, Kim boarded a private jet at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport, north of Miami, on Oct. 19 (local time) after meeting U.S. President Donald Trump alongside Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun, and LG Group Chairman Koo Kwang-mo. The private jet arrived at Warsaw Chopin Airport in Poland.
Kim's schedule overlaps with that of Chief of Staff Kang, who departed for Europe on Oct. 19 to promote defense sales. Kang is expected to visit countries such as Poland and Romania that are newly considering the introduction of Korean weapons. Hanwha said it had no knowledge of whether Kim would accompany the special delegation.
The defense industry sees Chief of Staff Kang and Vice Chairman Kim launching sales efforts as a public-private "one team" to achieve the Lee Jae-myung administration's national task of entering the "four leading K-defense countries." Government support is essential for defense exports.
Poland and Romania are currently pursuing large-scale defense bids. Poland is pushing the Orka project to build three submarines. The Orka project is valued at 3.4 trillion won, and up to 8 trillion won when including maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO).
Korea, led by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, has Hanwha and HD Hyundai teaming up to compete for the order. Competitors include France, Germany, and Sweden. The government expects the selection of the Orka project contractor to be made by the first half of next year at the latest.
Hanwha Ocean has proposed local production of three types of surface ships based on its Jangbogo-III Batch II submarine for this project. It is also pursuing cooperation with local Polish shipyards, technology transfer, and infrastructure building, as well as the export of the 209-class submarine (about 1,200 tons) operated by the Korean Navy for training.
Romania, which is replacing aging weapons, is also a major market. After purchasing about 1 trillion won worth of K9 self-propelled howitzers last year, Romania is pushing a 4 trillion won project to introduce more than 200 infantry fighting vehicles. Hanwha Aerospace's Redback and others are under review. The Redback shares the same powertrain as the K9, making operation and maintenance easier.
Meeting reporters at Incheon Airport, Chief of Staff Kang said, "The goal of this visit is to do our best to increase the order volume," and added, "We will make every effort we can to become one of the four leading defense powers."