외국사절, 한국 K2전차, K9 곡사포 시범 시승

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The diplomatic corps from 15 countries, including eight ambassadors from Greece, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Thailand and Uzbekistan, as well as Polish Acting Ambassador to South Korea Artur Gradziuk, take a group photo in front of the K9 self-propelled howitzer "Thunder" at Hanwha Aerospace facilities in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, Wednesday. (Republic of Korea Ministry of Foreign Affairs via Hanhwa Aerospace)

CHANGWON, South Gyeongsang Province — Foreign ambassadors and diplomats from 15 countries climbed aboard the K2 Black Panther tank and K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzer for a ride during a visit to production facilities, where they witnessed the assembly process firsthand.

The Foreign Ministry-led tour provided diplomats with an A-to-Z and behind-the-scenes look at Korea’s homegrown defense systems — from the assembly line on the factory floor to a live demo of how they performed in the field.

Second Vice Foreign Minister Kang In-sun hosted a two-day event, inviting diplomatic delegations to tour the defense production plants of Hyundai Rotem and Hanwha Aerospace in the city of Changwon on Wednesday as well as Korea Aerospace Industries in the city of Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, on Thursday.

Eight ambassadors from Greece, New Zealand, Norway, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, Thailand and Uzbekistan, as well as Polish Acting Ambassador to South Korea Artur Gradziuk, took part in the tour. Also in attendance were the Deputy Heads of Mission from Iraq and Peru; defense attaches from Australia, Colombia and the Philippines; and a political counselor from Vietnam.

"I find the visits to be a very impressive demonstration of Korea’s advanced defense technology and innovation," Tanee Sangrat, Thailand's ambassador to South Korea, told The Korea Herald. "As a close partner of Korea, Thailand’s armed forces and private sector collaborate with Korean corporations on current maintenance and repairs, as well as future acquisitions."

Second Vice Foreign Minister Kang In-sun (front right) and the diplomatic corps tour the assembly line of the K9 “Thunder” self-propelled howitzer at Hanwha Aerospace’s facility in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, Wednesday. (Republic of Korea Ministry of Foreign Affairs via Hanwha Aerospace)

The core message of the tour was simple: South Korea's homegrown weapons systems are characterized not only by their exceptional performance — developed over decades against existential threats from North Korea — but also by the country's unmatched capacity for mass production and ability to provide integrated maintenance, repair and overhaul, or MRO, support.

“We possess an unprecedentedly fast and comprehensive system for supplying tanks, unmatched globally,” Kim Doo-hong, Hyundai Rotem’s chief financial officer, told the diplomatic corps. "We have achieved an operational readiness rate close to 100 percent for equipment used by the Korean military due to our fully integrated logistics support system."

The diplomatic corps explored Korea's high-tech defense production on a tour of Hyundai Rotem, where K2 Black Panther tanks are assembled and produced. The tanks are scheduled for delivery to Poland and Peru, as Hyundai Rotem signed a contract with Peru's FAME SAC in November 2024 — the first K2 export to the Latin American continent — and a 2022 framework agreement with Poland to deliver 180 units by the end of this year.

At Hanwha Aerospace, the assembly process of the K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzer was observed. The ambassadors and diplomats were briefed on the streamlined production process — it takes only 100 working days to manufacture a K9 howitzer from the initial welding stage to final testing.

The diplomatic corps from 15 countries take a group photo in front of the K-2 Black Panther tank and its variables at Hyundai Rotem in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, Wednesday. (Republic of Korea Ministry of Foreign Affairs via Hyundai Rotem)

In a white-knuckle finish, pairs of diplomats rode the K2 Black Panther tank and K9 Thunder howitzer: one taking the commander’s seat while the other sat in the gunner’s.

The K2 tank and K9 howitzer tore across an open field with tight turns and sudden, fast accelerations, allowing foreign diplomats to experience the mobility and power of home-grown weaponry of South Korea in all its might.

Kang rode in the gunner's seat of the K2 tank with Saudi Ambassador to South Korea Sami M. Alsadhan, who sat in the commander's seat.

“It was a meaningful opportunity to witness firsthand the production process of Korea’s weapons systems,” Alsadhan said, expressing hopes for continued progress in Korea–Saudi Arabia defense industry cooperation.

The diplomatic corps members and ambassadors appeared visibly impressed with the speed and agility of the K2 tank and K9 howitzer, providing a thumbs-up of appreciation.

One of the ambassadors who rode the K2 said it was "Faster than I expected."

Those riding the K9 howitzer were given a taste of the vehicle's mobility as it traversed the open field at its top speed of 67 kilometers per hour.

The diplomatic corps also had the opportunity to ride in an FA-50 light combat aircraft on the tarmac and production site of South Korea's first homegrown KF-21 fighter, which recently commenced mass production, during their Thursday visit to KAI.

The Foreign Ministry said it would spearhead tailored diplomatic efforts to position Korea among the world’s top four defense exporters by 2027.

“The Korean government is making every effort to provide diplomatic support to enhance defense cooperation with a wide range of countries,” Kang said, calling for the diplomatic corps to show strong interest in advancing defense industry cooperation with South Korea.

Saudi Ambassador to South Korea Sami M. Alsadhan boards an FA-50 light combat aircraft on the tarmac during the diplomatic corps' visit to Korea Aerospace Industries in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang Province, on Thursday. (Republic of Korea Ministry of Foreign Affairs via KAI)

dagyumji@heraldcorp.com