South Korean Defense Industry Sees a Rise in Sales as Conflict and Tensions Increase Around the World
South Korea over the past two decades has really ramped up the export potential of their defense industry and it is paying off now as the world rearms due to Russian aggression and Chinese expansionism:
![The Korean 4.5-generation fighter jet KF-21 makes its first maiden flight in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang, in July 2022. [DEFENSE ACQUISITION PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION]](https://i0.wp.com/koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2023/05/01/511d8409-9251-4d07-a2ad-ff24d849bc1f.jpg?w=640&ssl=1)
The Korean 4.5-generation fighter jet KF-21 makes its first maiden flight in Sacheon, South Gyeongsang, in July 2022. [DEFENSE ACQUISITION PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION]
U.S. allies and security partners worldwide looking to re-stock their arsenals are increasingly turning to Korean defense companies to procure weapons.
Korea signed defense export contracts worth a cumulative $17 billion in 2022, representing a 242 percent increase in a single year and making the country the eighth-largest weapons exporter in the world.
The growth in Korean defense exports, which made up 2.8 percent of a global arms exports market dominated by the United States, Russia, France and China, is all the more remarkable given the late start of the Korean weapons industry compared to the big players.Rising Korean defense exports also more broadly signal the country’s growing capacity and will to supply arms to other U.S. allies in the face of rising military threats posed by Russia and China in Europe and the Indo-Pacific region.
Joong Ang Ilbo
Korea’s potential as a source of advanced military hardware at a time when countries are still ramping up defense production became apparent in December 2021, when Australia inked a $730-million contract with Hanwha Defense for 30 K-9 self-propelled artillery howitzers and 15 armored ammunition resupply vehicles, and again in July, when Poland announced that it had signed contracts worth an estimated $14 billion for K-2 battle tanks, K-9 howitzers and FA-50 light attack aircraft from Korea.
You can read more at the link.
Weren’t you one of the people here who advocated Korea to buy all their weapons from the US instead of trying to make them on their own? The reasoning was: “Why try to reinvent the wheels when you can just buy more cheaply?”
That kind of logic is more relevant to the US military, which could easily buy T-50 trainer jets offered by Korea, instead of waiting on Boeing’s failed T-7A project, risking pilot lives just because the US wants to stick with 100% made in America.
https://theaviationist.com/2023/05/02/boeing-t-7a-red-hawk-delayed-again/
I wonder how long it will be before the US starts to put on restrictions on Korean defense industry for muscling in on the industry dominated by the US. In every other industry, the US is doing so, against Korea.
Well done South Korea!
And chinabots gotta chinabot instead of celebrating a win for Seoul.
setnaffa, I am not wrong about the power trip the US is laying it on what they perceive as lesser powers like South Korea – a vassal state.
Trump’s very own words: “They don’t move unless we (US) approve their moves (South Korea)”.
Ask-a-Korean writes on this too, his opinions on Yoon’s singing American Pie at the White House basically acting like a drunken pompous monkey entertaining the zoo crowd, reflecting how much insulted most South Koreans were:
https://twitter.com/askakorean/status/1652042111586279424?s=46&t=hBHQvH-_679PJFg921ISOg
I gave a +1 to Korea Man because I agree each of his points are valid.
Well said, KM.
Yoon is much less of a buffoon than SCOAMF, Biden, or Moon (especially over COVID-19 and real estate), so I cut him some slack. As South Korea elected him, I accept that he represents what yhe nation wants. Sadly, I feel the same about the non compos mentis resident of 1600 Penna.
I would never suggest anyone accept SpongeBrain Puddingpants was a serious ally when going against China. He will always surrender to Winnie.
However, monotone political diatribes against a guy like Yoon who has done nothing with really good or really bad is weak sauce. He’s a placeholder. Not worthy of friggin’ chapter-length posts.
Learn to summarize if you want respect, chinabot