Donald Tusk Visits South Korea for Talks on Strategic Partnership and Industrial Cooperation

“Our countries have been building a special relationship for many years, both in economic and geopolitical terms,” Prime Minister Donald Tusk said during his visit to South Korea. Warsaw and Seoul have decided to elevate their ties to a comprehensive strategic partnership. South Korea is the largest Asian investor in our country. A key element of these relations is cooperation in the defense industry, which Poland intends to develop further, focusing on technology transfer, the localization of acquired weapon systems, and the relocation of part of the production to Poland. Strategic cooperation will also be strengthened in the areas of digitalization, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, space exploration, energy, infrastructure, and transport. The visit by the head of the Polish government to South Korea is the first of its kind at this level in 27 years.

Photos: Chancellery of the Prime Minister

Strategic Partnership Between Poland and South Korea

For many years, Poland and South Korea have been building close relations, both in economic and geopolitical terms.

“Thanks to our determination, we were able today to elevate our bilateral relations to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership,” Prime Minister Donald Tusk said after meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung.

A key element of the relationship between the two countries is cooperation in the defense industry.

“The driving force behind Polish-Korean relations is, of course, cooperation between our defense industries, which we want to continue and strengthen in the direction of technology transfer, the localization of acquired weapon systems, and the relocation of part of the production to our country,” the Prime Minister announced.

Poland and Korea will work together to rebalance their economic relationship so that both countries benefit equally from their cooperation.

“I welcome the prospect of increased access for Polish products to the South Korean market, including exports of our food products. We will work on this for the benefit of both our countries and nations,” the head of the Polish government stressed.

South Korean President Lee Jae Myung also pointed to the strategic nature of relations between Warsaw and Seoul.

“For nearly 37 years, Korea and Poland have built strong and friendly relations based on cooperation in many fields – political, economic, cultural, and people-to-people exchange. Poland has become one of Korea’s five largest trading partners among the countries of the European Union,” Lee Jae Myung emphasized.

Relations between Poland and South Korea are now entering a new phase – more ambitious and based on shared economic interests.

Warsaw and Seoul Deepen Cooperation in Innovative Sectors and Geopolitics

South Korea is the largest Asian investor in Poland. Poland is interested in continuing to attract South Korean capital.

“I will personally ensure that the conditions for these investments are optimal. The President and I both agreed that it is justified to strengthen strategic cooperation in such sectors as digitalization, artificial intelligence, semiconductors, space exploration, as well as energy, infrastructure, and transport,” the Prime Minister announced.

The two countries will also place great emphasis on developing cooperation in culture, science, education, and tourism. Poland and Korea will likewise support each other on the international stage.

“Poland in Europe and Korea in Asia – we will work together to help stabilize the geopolitical situation. We are living in times of great upheaval, marked by wars and conflicts. We must build a new international order. Poland and Korea will cooperate to ensure the stability of this new, emerging world,” Donald Tusk stressed.

During his visit to Seoul, the head of the Polish government also met with South Korean Prime Minister Kim Min Seok and National Assembly Speaker Woo Won Shik. He also held talks with representatives of Korean companies and business associations.

Press release

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Joint Statement of the Republic of Korea and the Republic of Poland

On April 13, 2026, Mr. Lee Jae Myung, President of the Republic of Korea, and Mr. Donald Tusk, Prime Minister of the Republic of Poland, held a meeting on the occasion of Prime Minister Donald Tusk’s official visit to Korea on April 12–13, 2026.

During the meeting, the two leaders recognized that, since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1989 and the elevation of bilateral relations to the level of a strategic partnership in 2013, the two countries have developed close cooperative ties in various fields, including politics, security, economy and trade, science and technology, education, culture, and people-to-people contacts.

Reaffirming the importance of shared values such as freedom, human rights, and democracy, which form the foundation of the partnership between the two countries, both sides expressed their intention to strengthen bilateral relations and elevate them to the level of a comprehensive strategic partnership in areas of mutual interest, as follows:

Political Cooperation

1. Both sides reaffirmed their determination to deepen political dialogue, further strengthen the strategic partnership in line with the 2025–2028 action plan, and hold regular meetings under various consultation mechanisms at all levels, including political consultations, security strategy consultations, and policy planning consultations between the foreign ministries of the two countries, in order to systematically discuss bilateral, international, and other issues of mutual interest.

2. Both sides encouraged regular exchanges and cooperation between high-ranking representatives of the parliaments of the two countries in order to deepen mutual understanding and foster broader diplomatic, economic, and cultural cooperation between them.

3. Both sides recognized that the dynamic strengthening of defense industrial cooperation between the two countries has become an important pillar of the development of their bilateral relations, and expressed their commitment to continuing consultations, information exchange, and further strengthening dialogue in the defense sector through the Joint Committee on Defense and Defense Industry Cooperation.

4. Both sides expressed their commitment to continuing to support the steady implementation of agreements in the defense industry sector and to further developing cooperation under the framework agreement concluded in 2022.

Economic and Sectoral Cooperation

5. Recognizing that Korea is the largest Asian investor in Poland, and that more than 700 Korean companies operating in Poland contribute to domestic production and exports throughout the European Union and play an important role in Poland’s economic growth, both sides agreed to continue supporting trade and investment cooperation as well as the business activity of Korean companies in Poland.

6. Both sides agreed to continue deputy minister-level economic consultations in order to assess ongoing initiatives and further deepen bilateral dialogue in key areas, including trade and investment, technological cooperation, digitalization, energy production and storage technologies, and economic security, with particular emphasis on supply chain resilience and strategic cooperation in critical raw materials.

7. Both sides reiterated the need to strengthen practical cooperation in various fields, including agriculture, such as food products’ access to markets, as well as transport and infrastructure, energy, advanced industries, artificial intelligence (AI), and robotics.

8. Both sides emphasized the importance of further developing the positive economic effects resulting from the free trade agreement between Korea and the European Union, which has created favorable conditions for the development of economic cooperation between the two countries.

Cultural and Educational Cooperation

9. Both sides supported the deepening of mutual cultural understanding by promoting cultural exchange and cooperation in such areas as film, animation, music, and exhibitions.

10. Both sides noted the need to intensify exchanges of scientists and students in the fields of education, science, research, and innovation, using the relevant frameworks and cooperation mechanisms established within bilateral relations and Korea-EU cooperation.

Regional and Global Cooperation

11. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to the complete denuclearization of and lasting peace on the Korean Peninsula. Poland, as a member of the Neutral Nations Supervisory Commission, recognizes Korea’s efforts to resume inter-Korean dialogue through active de-escalation measures and confidence-building steps aimed at achieving peaceful coexistence and shared development on the Korean Peninsula by expanding inter-Korean exchanges, normalizing relations, and gradually achieving denuclearization.

12. Both sides called for the immediate cessation of military cooperation between the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea and Russia, recognizing that it violates United Nations Security Council resolutions and undermines security in both the Indo-Pacific region and Europe.

13. As Russia’s illegal war of aggression against Ukraine entered its fifth year, both sides emphasized the importance of a full ceasefire. They reaffirmed the need for a just and lasting peace in accordance with the principles of the Charter of the United Nations and international law, including the principles of independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity. They also reaffirmed their unwavering commitment to providing humanitarian assistance and support to the Ukrainian people.

14. Both sides agreed on the need to further strengthen the strategic partnership between Korea and the European Union on the basis of existing agreements and partnerships. Both sides reaffirmed the need to deepen cooperation between NATO and Korea and welcomed the new dialogue format among foreign ministers of partners from Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, launched in 2025.

15. Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to countering global hybrid threats and resisting attempts to undermine stability, cohesion, or democracy. Recognizing the threat posed by disinformation and foreign interference, both sides emphasized the importance of close cooperation to enhance resilience and counter these evolving security challenges.

16. Emphasizing their shared commitment to a rules-based international order, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening partnership within regional and international organizations, including cooperation regarding candidacies within the United Nations (UN), and recognized Poland’s long-term ambition for permanent participation in the work of the G20 forum, including all of its consultation platforms.

Press release