South Korea sent arms exports worth more than one-point-five trillion won to Poland last year. 

According to data by the Korea International Trade Association on Wednesday, the country’s exports to the European country came to nine-point-02 billion dollars in 2023, up 14-point-eight percent from the previous year. 

The growth is led by a sharp increase in defense industry exports, as shipments of arms such as K9 self-propelled howitzers, K2 tanks and armored vehicles soared nearly 57 percent on-year to 649 million dollars last year. 

Separately, the country’s aircraft exports to Poland, such as FA-50 fighter jets, recorded 523 million dollars last year. 

The combined exports of arms and aircraft reached one-point-17 billion dollars, or more than one-point-five trillion won in 2023, jumping 184 percent from a year earlier. 

Due to the surge, Poland has emerged as the source of South Korea’s fifth-biggest trade surplus after the United States, Vietnam, Hong Kong and India.