Polish Ambassador to Korea Bartosz Wisniewski speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the Polish Embassy in Seoul, Feb. 3. Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk
Poland and Korea’s rapidly expanding relationship rests on years of accumulated trust, economic integration and cultural exchange that go far beyond headline-grabbing defense deals, Poland’s ambassador to Korea said in an interview with The Korea Times.
Bartosz Wisniewski said the two countries, formally designated strategic partners in 2013, are now “reaping the benefits of decisions made many years ago,” pointing to long-term investments in connectivity, business and cultural cooperation that have steadily drawn the two societies closer.
“Strategic partnership is written into documents, but it is also a continuum of decisions,” Wisniewski said during the interview at the Polish Embassy in Seoul. “What we are seeing today did not happen overnight.”
One early milestone was the launch of direct flights between Warsaw and Seoul’s Incheon airport in 2016, a link Wisniewski described as transformative for trade, tourism and people-to-people ties. The route operated by Poland's national carrier is marking its 10th anniversary this year.
“Despite the geographical distance, logistics have brought us closer,” he said.
Another foundation was cultural diplomacy. Poland held its first large-scale Polish cultural promotion in Korea in 2012, followed by sustained cooperation between cultural institutions in both countries.
“Today we are seeing the cumulative effect of those choices,” Wisniewski said.
An LG Energy Solution factory in Poland / Courtesy of LG Energy Solution
While defense cooperation has dominated recent headlines, Wisniewski emphasized that the relationship has become deeply embedded in Poland’s economy. More than 700 Korean companies operate in Poland, making Korea the country’s largest Asian investor, he said.
Source: Korea Times News
