South Korea's Historic Military Equipment Deal with Peru

South Korea inks a groundbreaking deal to supply Peru with military equipment, including 54 K2 tanks and 141 armored vehicles. This marks the largest South Korean defense export to Latin America, potentially bringing K2 tanks to the region for the first time, following similar agreements with Poland.

South Korea has announced a landmark agreement to supply military equipment to the Peruvian army, as confirmed by the nation's presidential office this Wednesday. This pivotal framework deal involves the procurement of 195 military units, comprising 54 K2 tanks and 141 wheeled armored vehicles. The collaboration includes a South Korean defense firm and Peru's state-owned defense entity.

While the exact financial details of the contract remain undisclosed, the statement highlighted the unprecedented scale of ground-equipment exports involved, marking it as the largest defense export venture by South Korea in Latin America to date. This agreement could see the K2 tank pioneering its presence in the Latin American market, after successful expansion into Europe.

This development follows South Korea's earlier success with Poland, which in August signed a second major multi-billion-dollar deal with Hyundai Rotem for K2 tanks. Poland's commitment resulted in the purchase of 180 tanks, repeating a similar deal from 2022 when they procured an initial batch of 180 K2 tanks.

(With inputs from agencies.)