Korea hosts diplomats from 15 countries for K2 rides and Cheongung-II displays at first field defense-diplomacy day

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Defense hosted diplomats from 15 countries, including Iraq, Canada, Brazil, Oman, Kuwait, and Mexico, at the Army training complex in Yangpyeong, Gyeonggi, on September 15, 2026. Guests rode the K2 Black Panther tank and the K21 infantry fighting vehicle, watched live-fire drills, and viewed the Korean Combat Engineer Vehicle, the Cheongung-II medium-range surface-to-air missile system, drones, quadruped robots, and the Army TIGER combat system. Second Vice Foreign Minister Kim Jin-a told the group that the Korean defense industry "has grown in no small part just because of the confidence that you placed in our products." The acting Iraqi head of mission rode a K21 and sat in the K2 gunner position; Iraq bought eight Cheongung-II batteries for $2.8 billion in 2024 and is negotiating for about 250 K2 tanks.