South Korea, Romania pledge defence cooperation amid reports of contract in works

FILE PHOTO: Polish soldiers stand near K9 howitzers, delivered in the first batch of arms from South Korea under contracts signed in recent months, during a military drill at a military range in Wierzbiny near Orzysz, Poland, March 30, 2023. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/File Photo

SEOUL (Reuters) - South Korean and Romanian leaders pledged on Tuesday to boost defence industry cooperation as Seoul pushes to establish itself as the world's fourth-largest arms exporter amid reports of huge additional contracts in the works.

President Yoon Suk Yeol hosted his Romanian counterpart, Klaus Iohannis, for a summit and pledged to increase cooperation in the defence industry, including joint production of weapons, a statement said.