Defense minister heads to Croatia for landmark Chunmoo rocket launcher export deal

Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back will travel to Croatia on Wednesday to discuss bilateral defense ties with top officials and attend a ceremony for a South Korean rocket artillery export deal, Seoul's defense ministry said.

During the three-day trip, Ahn plans to meet with Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic on Thursday and attend a signing event for Hanwha Aerospace's Chunmoo multiple rocket launcher exports, the ministry said.

Ahn will use the visit to highlight South Korea's strengths in the defense industry and commitment to expanding its partnership with Croatia.

The Chunmoo rocket launchers are a major South Korean artillery system mainly designed to counter North Korea's long-range artillery and multiple rocket launchers.

It has an operational range of up to 80 kilometers (50 miles) and is capable of executing both targeted precision strikes and cluster attacks to wipe out enemy targets over a wide area.

Hanwha has sold the Chunmoo systems to multiple NATO countries, including Poland, Estonia and Norway. The upcoming deal with Croatia will make the country its fourth European buyer.

"The Chunmoo export contract marks South Korea's first arms export to Croatia, serving as a key milestone in advancing a mutually beneficial defense partnership between the two nations," the ministry said in a release.

During Ahn's visit, the two sides plan to sign a memorandum of understanding to establish an institutional framework for substantive defense cooperation, the ministry said.

Ahn will also discuss ways the two countries can work together to foster peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and in Europe.

Yonhap