Korea inks $995.6 mil. deal to supply K-9 howitzers to Romania

K-9 self-propelled howitzers are deployed during a mobility training session in Jangdo, Incheon, June 21. Yonhap

Korea has struck a 1.38 trillion won ($995.6 million) deal to supply weapons, including K-9 self-propelled howitzers, to Romania, the state arms procurement agency said Wednesday, the latest in Seoul's push to clinch major arms export deals.

Under the agreement signed Tuesday, Korean defense giant Hanwha Aerospace will export weapons and ammunition, including 54 K-9 self-propelled howitzers and 36 K-10 armored ammunition resupply vehicles, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

Hanwha Aerospace plans to begin rolling out the weapons and ammunition in Romania in 2027 in cooperation with a Romanian firm, according to officials.

The deal — the biggest in Romania's arms acquisition over the past seven years — came about three months after President Yoon Suk Yeol held summit talks with his Romanian counterpart, Klaus Iohannis, in Seoul where they agreed to boost cooperation in defense and nuclear energy.

Top defense officials have also visited Romania in the following months to support the export deal. In June, Defense Minister Shin Won-sik held talks with his Romanian counterpart, Angel Tilvar, who confirmed of the ministry's plan to buy the Korean weapons system.

DAPA said it expects the agreement to further boost ties between the two countries and possibly lead to additional exports.

"Based on the K-9 self-propelled howitzer export deal, we anticipate cooperation with Romania to expand in areas such as ground weapons systems involving Redback infantry fighting vehicles and K-2 tanks as well as guided weapons involving air defense systems," DAPA Minister Seok Jong-gun said.

With the deal, Romania has become the ninth country to acquire K-9 self-propelled howitzers, in addition to Australia, Egypt, India, Norway, Estonia, Turkey, Poland and Finland, according to DAPA.

The country is currently pushing to acquire a new generation of infantry fighting vehicles.

Romania placed an order for Korean defense firm LIG Nex1's Chiron surface-to-air missiles last November. (Yonhap)