Czech Republic Opens Doors to Defense Partnership with South Korea, Signaling New Era of Strategic Cooperation
In a move poised to reshape bilateral defense ties, the Czech Republic has extended a major invitation to South Korean defense companies to expand cooperation, as unveiled during the ROK-Czech Joint Committee on Defense Industry and Logistics held on July 9, 2025. The high-level meeting marked a significant step in strengthening the strategic defense alliance between Prague and Seoul through joint innovation, technology sharing, and mutual capability building. ROK refers to the Republic of Korea, the official name of South Korea.
Czech Ambassador to South Korea Ivan Jancarek underscored the urgency of bolstering strategic defense ties amid an increasingly volatile global security environment. Drawing on commitments made at the 2025 NATO Summit in The Hague—where member states pledged to raise defense spending to 3.5% of GDP and allocate 1.5% for economic and infrastructure resilience—he highlighted Czechia’s own ambitious defense agenda. The country aims to boost its defense budget to $15 billion by 2030 and up to $25 billion by 2035. Of that, roughly 20–25% is earmarked for acquiring advanced weapon systems, potentially totaling $30–35 billion over the next decade.
Key industrial stakeholders from both nations were prominently featured in the discussions. Czech firms including TGS, Colt CZ Group, Excalibur Army, URC Systems, and PBS held working-level engagements with major Korean counterparts—such as Korea Defense Industry Corp., SNT Dynamics, SNT Motiv, Kia, DI Optical, WooriByul, Uconsystem, Arion Communication, and Korea Aerospace Industries. Their cooperation is already bearing fruit, as shown through initiatives like co-produced ammunition, anti-drone systems for armored vehicles, and sidearms jointly developed for the South Korean military.
The committee was co-chaired by top defense officials: Radka Konderlova, Director General of the Czech Ministry of Defense, and Tae Kon-kim, Director General of South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). Konderlova called for a shift beyond basic arms sales to “genuine win-win partnerships” built on shared technology, collaborative defense tenders, and multilateral cooperation. She praised Korea’s cutting-edge platforms such as the K9 self-propelled howitzer and the Black Eagle tank, and reiterated DAPA’s pivotal role in strengthening bilateral cooperation.
Czechia’s defense modernization aligns with emerging technologies deemed critical in contemporary combat—namely AI, drones, and cybersecurity. Konderlova referenced recent conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine as illustrations of evolving battlefield needs and urged deeper synergy between Czech R&D and South Korea’s advanced manufacturing. She encouraged Korean firms to embrace the Czech market, integrate local components into joint projects to stay competitive, and consider collaborative participation in high-profile defense expos like South Korea’s ADEX and Czechia’s own industry fairs.
This deepening defense collaboration is part of a broader Czech-Korean strategic partnership established in 2015, spanning diplomacy, economics, science, tech, culture, and energy. South Korea plays a key role in Czechia’s Indo-Pacific engagement strategy, supported by multi-nation frameworks such as NATO-EU-Korea dialogues. High-level exchanges between presidents and prime ministers in 2024–2025 have further bolstered momentum for expansion in both defense and non-defense spheres.
Parallel to defense, energy cooperation—in particular nuclear power—is emerging as a complementary pillar of the partnership. A forthcoming nuclear agreement is expected to significantly enhance Czech energy security while reinforcing the bilateral nuclear alliance. Celebratory events, including a national day in Seoul in 2024, have underscored the growing mutual commitment, as articulated by Ambassador Jancarek, to advancing strategic objectives across science, culture, tourism, and technology.
In conclusion, Czechia’s outreach to Korean defense firms represents a calculated and mutually advantageous step toward building a high-tech, resilient, and long-term defense partnership. With major defense investments planned and a trajectory of increasing cooperation, the Czech-Korean alliance is well positioned to become a key contributor to regional stability and global security in the decade ahead.