A defense industry event for foreign diplomats hosted by Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jin-a takes place at the Army’s Yangpyeong training complex in Yangpyeong County, Gyeonggi, on Sept. 15.MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
YANGPYEONG COUNTY, Gyeonggi — At the Army’s training complex in Yangpyeong County, Gyeonggi, on Tuesday, Mohammad Mustafa Jumma, Iraq’s serving chargé d’affaires in Korea, pointed at a K2 Black Panther tank after a ride aboard a K21 infantry fighting vehicle.
He soon climbed aboard the K2 and took a seat in the gunner’s position, with his upper body protruding through the hatch, as the tank sped along a training route across the roughly 4.13-square-kilometer (1.59-square-mile) facility. It was an encore ride for the Iraqi diplomat after his experience with the K21, another key component of the Army’s mechanized forces.
As the tank raced along the uneven track, the deep-green mountainsides quickly receded into the distance. When clouds of dust began to rise, a military official could be heard over the radio saying, “Keep the route short. Try not to kick up dust.”
Iraq is a major partner for Korea’s defense industry. In 2024, it agreed to purchase eight batteries of the Korean-made Cheongung-II medium-range surface-to-air missile system in a deal worth $2.8 billion.
The Foreign Ministry invited diplomats stationed in Korea from 15 countries, including Iraq, Canada, Brazil, Oman, Kuwait and Mexico, to observe Korean defense systems in operation on Tuesday at an event hosted by Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jin-a.
The countries were selected in consultation with the Ministry of National Defense, which has defense cooperation ties with Korea. It was the third time the Ministry of Foreign Affairs had organized such a visit for foreign diplomats under the leadership of its second vice minister.
“Korea's defense industry has grown in no small part just because of the confidence that you placed in our products and capabilities,” Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim said in English before the event began.
“I do believe that this visit will give you an even deeper look into our defense capabilities and also our broader approach to defense cooperation.”
Diplomats, officials from the foreign ministry and Korean military pose for a photo during a defense industry event hosted by Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jin-a on Sept. 15.MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS
The K21 opened the live-fire and maneuver demonstration. A quadruped robot and drones first conducted reconnaissance of the target before the K21 fired five rounds from a stationary position and another three while on the move. Impacts echoed from the mountainside across the training ground.
The K2 then roared onto the range. It quickly pivoted in place to demonstrate its maneuverability before firing two consecutive rounds at a target while on the move.
Soon afterward, more than a dozen drones flew simultaneously over the training ground with their lights flashing, which drew the diplomats’ attention to the sky. The military also showcased Army Tiger, the Army’s future combat system that integrates unmanned systems such as drones and robots with tanks and armored vehicles.
The diplomats’ questions became more specific as they toured the weapons systems. Standing in front of the Korean Combat Engineer Vehicle (K-CEV), which detects and clears obstacles such as mines, one diplomat asked whether it was made entirely with Korean technology.
“70 to 80 percent,” a military official replied.
Asked about the operational range of a reconnaissance drone, an official answered, “Five kilometers (3.1 miles).”
Kim also had a series of questions about the K21. When Maj. Gen. Kim Jong-yeoun, commander of the Army’s 11th Maneuver Division, explained that the vehicle weighs about 25 metric tons (28 short tons) but can float and travel through water at 6 kilometers per hour (3.7 miles per hour), the vice minister appeared surprised.
The military also gave the diplomats a chance to ride aboard the K21 and K2. Kim joined them, riding in the K2’s passenger's seat along the training route.
“You could learn to fire it in just 10 minutes, and in 30 minutes you could accurately aim and hit a target,” Maj. Gen. Kim told the vice minister.
“Technology has come such a long way,” Kim replied with a laugh.
Last year, the Foreign Ministry took foreign diplomats to defense manufacturers’ production facilities in Changwon, South Gyeongsang. This year, the focus shifted beyond production lines to a firsthand look at the mobility and firepower of weapons actually operated by the military.
As the Lee Jae Myung administration seeks to develop the Korean defense industry into a key export sector and expand into overseas markets, including Europe, the event represented a more hands-on approach to promoting Korean weapons through diplomacy.
At the end of the event, diplomats from the 15 countries posed for a group photo with Kim, with them raising both thumbs.
“The diplomatic corps had the opportunity to observe training under conditions similar to actual combat and ride aboard the vehicles themselves to experience the capabilities of Korean weapons systems firsthand,” a Foreign Ministry official said. “The event provided an opportunity to showcase the strengths of Korea’s defense industry and send a message of defense cooperation based on trust.”
This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
