Seoul: Estonia is considering buying more military equipment and advanced artillery systems from South Korea after its smooth acquisition of K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers, its defense chief has said, while also stressing the importance of the two countries' bilateral ties amid growing geopolitical connections between the Korean Peninsula and Europe.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur made the remarks in an exclusive interview in Seoul on Monday, held on the sidelines of his talks with Seoul's acting Defense Minister Kim Seon-ho and South Korean defense firms, including K9 manufacturer Hanwha Aerospace. "Estonia is buying today already quite a significant number (amount) of military equipment, more specifically K9s from Hanwha, and we are exploring the options to buy even more different equipment and artillery systems," Pevkur said, calling Tallinn's plan to acquire 36 K9 howitzers from South Korea "very good cooperation" that is proceeding smoothly.
While Pevkur did not elaborate on the specific weapons systems Estonia may potentially purchase, he said the emphasis would be on boosting the Estonian military's "deep fire" capabilities. Estonia, which first signed an agreement to buy the 155mm self-propelled howitzer in 2018, is one of nine countries that has acquired the weapons system, along with Australia (known in Australia as AS9), Egypt, Finland, India, Norway, Poland, Romania, and Turkey. The North European country has so far received 24 K9 howitzers and plans to receive an additional 12 by next year.
In addition to quality, delivery time and price were specific strengths that the Estonian defense minister named in favor of South Korean weapons systems. Pevkur also mentioned the interoperability, interchangeability and ease of maintenance-namely the availability of spare parts-as clear benefits from using South Korean weapons systems which are also used by Poland and Finland, both nearby Northern European countries.
"I'm very happy that in our region we have more and more countries who are using the K9 or probably start building their own craft, but it's still the same system," Pevkur said. "For all these reasons, it is very wise to use the same systems."
Going forward, the Estonian defense minister anticipated more cooperation between South Korean and Estonian defense firms to materialize in a mutually beneficial way, especially at a time when the arms industry in Estonia is flourishing. Pevkur noted that the arms industry in the Baltic nation has grown roughly four times over the past three years, adding that there is a "huge opportunity" for mutual cooperation as the industry seeks to once again grow about four times over the next three to four years.
For such growth to materialize, the Estonian defense chief said his country could potentially benefit from South Korea's solid heavy industries, as well as aerospace and defense industries, while offering "additional value" to South Korean products through its solutions systems, in the areas of automatization, artificial intelligence, surveillance and diagnostics.
Against such backdrop, Pevkur said he was not hesitant to visit South Korea despite impeached President Yoon Suk Yeol's martial law imposition last month. He expressed confidence in South Korea's democracy and business environment, while downplaying the impact of the political turmoil triggered by the martial law bid in advancing the two countries' bilateral ties.
"We started to plan my visit already many months back and when everything happened here then we decided that we will not cancel our trip ... because Korea is a democratic country and if there are some turbulence, then still there are people who are responsible for the system for the government," he said. The success of his visit, which also involved meetings with lawmakers from the parliamentary defense committee, clearly reaffirmed Pevkur's decision not to cancel the trip was the correct one.
"The confirmation from the political side that it doesn't matter, (regardless of) what happens in the next upcoming weeks, South Korea will continue on its spot (role) as a strong member or as a strong ally to European allies and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization," Pevkur said. The Estonian defense minister, who jointly criticized North Korea and Russia's deepening military cooperation, along with acting defense minister Kim in their talks, pointed out that this interconnectedness is why Seoul and Tallinn should strive to nurture future cooperation.
"What is happening here is also affecting us and what is happening in Europe affects also this region," Pevkur said. "This is why we need to keep our bags together, to fight for freedom, to fight for the democracy and to keep the free world alive."