Estonia Becomes Second European Nation to Buy South Korea’s Chunmoo Rocket System in €300M Deal

Estonia has signed a €300 million (US$351.5 million) deal to acquire South Korea’s Chunmoo multiple launch rocket system (MLRS), making it the second European country after Poland to procure the advanced artillery. The agreement underscores South Korea’s expanding role as a key arms supplier to nations on NATO’s eastern flank.

According to the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA), the government-to-government (G2G) contract was signed on Sunday in Tallinn with the Estonian Centre for Defence Investments. Under the terms, manufacturer Hanwha Aerospace will deliver six Chunmoo rocket launchers and three different types of missiles over the next three years. The deal finalizes a memorandum of understanding signed by the two countries' defense ministers in Seoul this past October.

The acquisition is a significant step in Estonia's plan to invest €10 billion to bolster its defense capabilities by 2029. It also deepens Tallinn's defense ties with Seoul, following a 2018 agreement to import Hanwha’s K9 self-propelled howitzers. The back-to-back adoptions of the Chunmoo by Poland and now Estonia highlight a growing regional trend toward diversifying defense suppliers with proven, quickly deliverable systems.

KOTRA noted it is a direct contracting party to the deal, a G2G structure often used for sensitive national security projects that ensures government-level oversight. While the Chunmoo MLRS was originally designed to counter North Korean artillery threats, its capacity for rapid, high-precision firepower is now seen as a critical asset for European nations navigating a more volatile security environment.