South Korean President Lee Jae Myung and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk agreed on Monday to upgrade bilateral relations to a comprehensive strategic partnership, with defence cooperation forming the centrepiece of the new arrangement. Meeting at the Presidential Blue House in Seoul, Tusk described South Korea as Poland's key ally after the United States, while Lee pledged to deepen collaboration under a $44.2 billion defence industry framework pact first signed in 2022. The upgrade signals Seoul's growing role as a major arms supplier and security partner for European nations seeking to bolster their defences amid ongoing continental instability.