Defense Acquisition Chief Visits Romania to Support K-Defense Exports

Two-day Visit Starting on the 10th
Back-to-Back Meetings with Six Senior Officials
Promoting the K2 Tank and Redback Armored Vehicle

Lee Yongcheol, Administrator of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, met with Radu Dinel Mirucher, Romania's Minister of National Defence, at the Romanian Ministry of National Defence on the 10th and posed for a commemorative photo. Photo by Defense Acquisition Program Administration

According to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration on the 11th, Administrator Lee Yongcheol visited Romania for two days starting on the 10th to support defense exports by Korean companies.

This visit was arranged to promote the excellence of Korean weapon systems in the Romanian market, which is pursuing a large-scale defense modernization program, and to achieve tangible contract results. Romania is currently pushing forward projects for infantry fighting vehicles and next-generation main battle tanks to strengthen its armored forces. In response, Korean companies are seeking to win contracts by proposing Hanwha Aerospace's Redback armored vehicle and Hyundai Rotem's K2 tank.

During the visit, Administrator Lee held a series of meetings with six senior figures from the Romanian executive and legislature, including the Chief of Staff to the Prime Minister, the Minister of Defence, the Minister of Economy, and the Chair of the Senate Committee on Defence. Both sides agreed that Korea and Romania, as strategic partners, should further develop their cooperative relationship. They also shared a consensus on strengthening practical cooperation in the defense and economic sectors.

In particular, Administrator Lee stressed that "the K2 tank and the Redback armored vehicle can be the optimal partners for the modernization of the Romanian military." With regard to the K2 tank, he is reported to have highlighted, by citing the export case to Poland, Korea's capability for rapid delivery and its capacity for localized, tailored production.

Administrator Lee also attended the groundbreaking ceremony for Hanwha Aerospace's K9 self-propelled howitzer production plant held in Dambovita County, Romania. The ceremony marked the establishment of a local production base under a contract signed in July 2024. In his congratulatory remarks, he stated, "Local production of the K9 self-propelled howitzer is a case that shows Korean defense industry aims to strengthen the defense capabilities of its partner countries," and added, "Based on our companies' localization strategies, we will continue to support mutually beneficial cooperation that helps both Korean companies and our partner countries."