Assembly speaker calls Croatia's Chunmoo purchase 'meaningful progress,' proposes industrial ties

National Assembly Speaker Jo Jeong-sik described Croatia's acquisition of South Korea's Chunmoo multiple rocket launcher system as "meaningful progress" and proposed expanding defense cooperation beyond weapons procurement into industrial and technological collaboration.

At a joint press conference with Croatian Parliament Speaker Gordan Jandroković in Zagreb on Friday (local time), Jo said he hoped the deal would lead to "industrial and technological cooperation grounded in long-term trust and mutual benefit, going beyond the simple introduction of a weapons system." He framed the Chunmoo purchase as a case in which the trust the two countries had built had borne fruit in concrete cooperation.

Hanwha Aerospace signed a contract with Croatia's defense ministry on Sept. 10 to supply 18 Chunmoo units — a multiple rocket launcher system capable of firing several rockets in rapid succession. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said the contract is valued at approximately 640 billion won (410 million euros). Croatia became the fourth European country to adopt the Chunmoo, after Poland, Estonia and Norway. The two countries' defense ministries also signed a defense cooperation MOU the same day.

Jo identified economic infrastructure, defense and the defense industry, and cultural and people-to-people exchange as areas where the two parliaments could provide support. South Korea and Croatia elevated their relationship to a "comprehensive, future-oriented partnership" through a joint prime ministerial statement in October 2023. Jo said he would back that partnership at the parliamentary level to ensure it delivers tangible benefits to citizens.

Jo also outlined a vision for economic cooperation, saying South Korea's industrial strengths in shipbuilding, automobiles and information and communications technology, combined with Croatia's geographic advantages along the Adriatic Sea and its port and logistics networks, could open new opportunities for collaboration.

He singled out the Port of Rijeka, Croatia's largest cargo port, for particular attention. Jo cited the strategic value of the port and rail infrastructure at Rijeka alongside the LNG terminal on Krk Island, according to Croatian public broadcaster HRT. Croatia is pursuing a plan to develop the terminal into an energy hub supplying gas to neighboring countries. Jo said he hoped the two sides would explore concrete ways to cooperate in building port, rail and transport infrastructure.

Jo also emphasized people-to-people ties, saying the force that sustains relations between nations over the long term is ultimately friendship among their peoples. He added that he hoped exchanges in tourism and culture would expand into sustained contact among youth, students, researchers and artists.

Jandroković cited the Chunmoo acquisition as a concrete achievement of the two countries' friendly relations, HRT reported. He readily accepted Jo's invitation to visit South Korea and said he intended to further develop inter-parliamentary relations in step with the active exchanges already taking place at the government and ministerial levels. Former Assembly Speaker Kim Jin-pyo had visited Croatia in 2024 and extended an invitation to Jandroković at that time.

The possibility of broader defense cooperation also came up. Jandroković indicated at a luncheon that day that Croatia wished to cooperate with South Korea on air force and navy modernization projects, according to the Office of the National Assembly Speaker. Jo responded by noting that South Korea possesses an advanced missile defense capability.

Jo also held separate meetings the same day with President Zoran Milanović and Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. Accompanying him on the trip were Democratic Party of Korea lawmakers Han Jeong-ae and Hwang Hui, and People Power Party lawmakers Choi Hyeong-du and Kang Min-guk. Jo is traveling to Italy, the Vatican, Croatia and Greece in sequence from Tuesday through Oct. 14.