Poland–South Korea relations is the

diplomatic relationship Diplomacy comprises spoken or written communication by representatives of states (such as leaders and diplomats) intended to influence events in the international system.Ronald Peter Barston, ''Modern diplomacy'', Pearson Education, 2006, p. 1 ...

between the

Republic of Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

and Republic of Korea.

History

Poland and Korea first had official contacts in the early 20th century, when both nations were ruled by foreign powers – Poland was partitioned between Austria, Germany and Russia, while Korea was under Japanese rule. Due to suffering similar oppression, the Koreans and Poles shared strong sympathy, and the March 1st Movement, which aimed to form an independent Korea, made Koreans compared to the Poles of Asia. As a result of World War II, both Poland and North Korea were occupied by the Soviet Union, which installed

communist Communism (from Latin la, communis, lit=common, universal, label=none) is a far-left sociopolitical, philosophical, and economic ideology and current within the socialist movement whose goal is the establishment of a communist society, a s ...

regimes in both countries. As a result, relations between the Polish People's Republic and Republic of Korea did not exist after the war, when the republics were established and aligned with opposing blocs in the

Cold War The Cold War is a term commonly used to refer to a period of geopolitical tension between the United States and the Soviet Union and their respective allies, the Western Bloc and the Eastern Bloc. The term '' cold war'' is used because the ...

. Poland supported North Korea against South Korea and virtually no relations between Poland and South Korea existed throughout the Cold War, in which the Democratic People's Republic of Korea was recognized by Polish People's Republic as the legitimate representative of all Korea. It was not until the 1990s when the Cold War ended that Poland and South Korea established relations.

Modern relations

Following the end of Cold War, Poland and South Korea's relations dramatically improved and eventually became a strategic partnership. South Korea was the first Asian country to officially loan $450 million in economic aid to Poland. Investments from South Korea continues to increase as for the result of the good relationship between two countries. Poland is also a consumer of Korean networking technology and mobile communications technology. In 2016, South Korea deputy minister of Foreign Affairs, Kim Hyong-zhin, praised Poland for its historical contributions to science and culture, and expressed South Korea's desire to expand the cooperative relationship between the two countries. In 2018, Polish President Andrzej Duda expressed his wish to support a United Nations-led initiative over Korea, aiming for peaceful unification of the Korean peninsula. In 2022, Poland and South Korea strengthened their military cooperation when Poland made a major purchase of K2 Black Panther tanks, K9 Thunder

howitzer A howitzer () is a long- ranged weapon, falling between a cannon (also known as an artillery gun in the United States), which fires shells at flat trajectories, and a mortar, which fires at high angles of ascent and descent. Howitzers, like ot ...

s and FA-50 fighter jets from South Korea. The agreement also provides for technology transfer, the launch of production in Poland and joint Korean-Polish development of next-generation military equipment.

Culture

Several Polish museums possess collections of Korean art and artifacts, including the

National Museum of Ethnography The National Museum of Ethnography (Polish: ''Państwowe Muzeum Etnograficzne w Warszawie'') is a museum of ethnography in Warsaw, Poland. It was established in 1888. Collection and exhibitions The collection is made up of objects, folk art, ...

in Warsaw and

District Museum in Toruń Toruń Regional Museum ( pl, Muzeum Okręgowe w Toruniu), located in the ''Ratusz'' hall of Toruń, is one of the oldest and largest museums in Poland. It started in 1594 as the mere Cabinet of Curiosities at the library of the academic Gimnazjum ...

Trade

For South Korea, Poland is the largest trading partner in Central Europe, with two-way trade hitting an all-time high of $8.95 billion in 2022. The two countries aim to triple bilateral trade by 2030.

Resident diplomatic missions

* Poland has an embassy in Seoul, and an honorary consulate in

Daegu Daegu (, , literally 'large hill', 대구광역시), formerly spelled Taegu and officially known as the Daegu Metropolitan City, is a city in South Korea. It is the third-largest urban agglomeration in South Korea after Seoul and Busan; it is ...

. * South Korea has an embassy in Warsaw, and an honorary consulate in Wrocław. File:Seoul centre 041.JPG, Embassy of Poland in Seoul File:Waw korea poludniowa99.jpg, Embassy of South Korea in Warsaw

References

External links

Embassy of the Republic of Poland in SeoulAmbasada Republiki Korei w Polsce
{{DEFAULTSORT:Poland-South Korea relations Korea, South Poland