South Korea, Poland to establish air force consultative body

Seoul: South Korea and Poland have agreed to establish a consultative body between their air forces to strengthen bilateral military cooperation following the European country's adoption of Korean fighter jets, sources said on Sunday.

The air forces of South Korea and Poland recently reached the agreement and are currently discussing the specifics of the establishment, including the timing of the launch, the military sources said, Yonhap news agency reported.

Once established, the body will serve as a venue for discussing cooperation on various military issues, including strategies, tactics and the defence industry.

In recent years, Poland has emerged as one of the largest buyers of South Korea-manufactured defence goods, purchasing FA-50 fighter jets, K9 self-propelled howitzers and K2 battle tanks in 2022.

Through the envisioned body, the air forces of the two countries are expected to share operational know-how regarding the FA-50 fighter jet and consider a pilot exchange program.

It is also likely that the two sides will discuss the potential export of the advanced KF-21 Boramae multirole fighters to Poland, which South Korea has recently begun mass-producing.