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The defense contract is the largest ever won between Australia and an Asian nation, and was signed by South Korean President Moon Jae-in during a visit to the Australian capital Canberra.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison and South Korean President Moon Jae-in have signed a $ 680 million defense deal.
It is worth about $ 1 trillion, the deal was signed on Monday during a four-day visit by Moon to Canberra. The South Korean president is the first foreign leader to visit Australia since the pandemic began.
New defense deal Hanwha South Korea’s defense company will provide the Australian Army with artillery weapons, supply vehicles and radar.
It is the largest defense contract ever won between Australia and an Asian nation, and comes at a time when tensions between Australia and China are mounting.
Australia recently announced an agreement with AUKUS to build nuclear-powered submarines with the United States and the United Kingdom, a move strongly condemned by China.
Morrison said the new defense contract would create about 300 jobs in Australia, where a division of Hanwha operates.
“The contracts we signed today, I think, are the capabilities of the Korean defense industry,” he said.
“This is another important chapter in the history of the defense industry for Australia, as we continue to build our sovereign capacity, and Korea is an important partner in that journey, both in our security arrangements and in the construction of our sovereign capacity in defense manufacturing.”
Moon said South Korea had similar values to Australia in terms of its geopolitical vision and said his visit to Canberra was “very important for Korea’s national interest and for promoting peace and prosperity in the region”.
But he also said that South Korea’s relationship with China is important, especially when it comes to peace with North Korea.
“That’s why South Korea is focused on a strong alliance with the United States and China,” Moon said. “We want a unified relationship.”
A senior Canberra diplomat told the ABC presenter that the South Korean president thought it was worthwhile to travel to Australia, despite the possible consequences for China, to strain relations.
“At the end of his five-year term and in the midst of the pandemic, it should be quite important to express a level of support and comfort with being a member of the Australian Quad and the AUKUS agreement,” said Bill Paterson, a former diplomat who was Australian ambassador to Seoul until 2016.
“[The] The Koreans believe that they want to send a positive signal both strategically and economically to Australia, and they are ready to take a risky measure. “
Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton said his government was committed to keeping the region safe and that the new contract would help modernize the Australian Army.
“The main ability of new vehicles is to shoot and move fast, avoiding enemy counterattack,” Dutton said. “This project will increase the level of firepower and safety for Australian artillery capability.”
South Korea is Australia’s fourth largest trading partner and export market, according to a free trade agreement in place since 2014.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
In the talks, Morrison and Moon agreed to renew the formal ties between their nations to a “full strategic partnership.”
Leaders also said they would work together to develop clean energy technologies, including hydrogen, and facilitate Australia’s supply of critical minerals.
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