The secret to helping Korean weapons reach the world

The defense industry in South Korea is growing rapidly, partly due to the need to strengthen military capabilities in the face of security situations in the region, as well as from European countries.

South Korea's arms sales in 2022 will hit more than $17 billion, up from $7.25 billion in 2021, the country's defense ministry said in a statement on Friday, Reuters reported. The increase comes as Western countries seek weapons to secure their security after aid to Ukraine and tensions rise in other flashpoints such as the South China Sea and the Korean Peninsula.

South Korean K-9 self-propelled gun

Foundation Contract

Last year, South Korea signed the largest arms deal in its history. The contract with Poland was worth $13.7 billion and included hundreds of Chunmoo rocket launchers, K2 tanks, K9 self-propelled guns and FA-50 fighter jets.

Under the contract, joint ventures of South Korean and Polish companies will be established to manufacture weapons, maintain aircraft and establish a framework for future arms supplies to other European countries, said Lukasz Komorek, director of the export projects office of the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ). Part of the South Korean weapons will be produced in Poland under a licensing agreement. It is expected that 500 of the 820 tanks and 300 of the 672 howitzers will be built at Polish factories from 2026.

South Korean and Polish government officials and defense companies say the deal lays the groundwork for them to conquer the European arms market, even after the conflict in Ukraine ends. South Korea will deliver high-quality weapons faster than other suppliers, and Poland will provide both production capacity and a sales channel into the European market.

K-239 Chunmoo rocket launcher at Hanwha Aerospace's factory in Changwon, South Korea

South Korean arms makers say their ability to deliver fast is an advantage over other arms suppliers. “They put the parts together in weeks or months, while it takes us years,” a European defense industry executive told Reuters.

South Korean officials say the close relationship between the military and the arms industry allows them to reschedule domestic orders to prioritize exports.

Polish officials say a key factor in deciding to sign the contract was that South Korea offered to deliver the weapons faster than most other parties. The first 10 K2 tanks and 24 K9 howitzers arrived in Poland in December 2022, just months after the contract was signed, and at least five more tanks and 12 howitzers have been delivered since.

K-2 tanks during an exercise in Poland in March.

Germany, on the other hand, is a major European arms producer but has yet to deliver any Leopard tanks to Hungary, despite Budapest ordering them in 2018, according to analyst Oskar Pietrewicz of the Polish Institute of International Relations. “Interest in South Korea’s offer can only be increased by the limited production capacity of the German defense industry, which is a major arms supplier in the region,” Pietrewicz said.

At Hanwha Aerospace’s K9 artillery plant in southern South Korea, robots handle about 70 percent of the welding work and are key to boosting productivity. The company’s production manager Cha Yong-su said the robots are operating an average of eight hours a day but can work nonstop if needed. “Basically, we can handle any number of orders you want,” Cha said.

Oh Kyea-hwan, another manager at Hanwha Aerospace, said the company has technology-sharing agreements with India, Egypt and Türkiye, so there is no concern about productivity. “Because of that, I don’t think there is much need to worry about productivity,” he said.

High compatibility

Another advantage for South Korea is that their weapons are highly compatible with American and European weapons.

The K9 self-propelled howitzer uses NATO-standard 155mm ammunition, has a computerized fire control system, is designed to be easily integrated into command and control networks, and has capabilities comparable to more expensive Western guns. India and Australia are using this gun.

Engineers work on a K-9 self-propelled gun at Hanwha Aerospace's factory in Changwon, South Korea.

“The Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and other countries used to think only about defense procurement in Europe, but now they know well that they can buy products at low prices and with quick delivery from Korean companies,” Oh said.

South Korea is currently the third largest arms supplier to NATO and its member states, accounting for 4.9% of their purchases, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI, Sweden). However, this figure is still much lower than the US (65%) and France (8.6%).

Hanwha Aerospace has a 55% share of the global howitzer market and is estimated to increase to 68% thanks to the contract with Poland, according to research firm NH Research & Securities.

Meanwhile, the Asian market accounted for 63% of South Korea’s arms exports from 2018 to 2022, according to SIPRI. The orders come as the region is ramping up its arms amid security concerns and US-China rivalry. In addition, ongoing tensions with North Korea have kept South Korea’s production lines running and its weapons under constant pressure to be developed, tested and upgraded, said Cho Woo-rae, vice president of global business and strategy at defense firm Korea Aerospace Industries.

South Korea is currently developing the KFX fighter jet with Indonesia, and Polish leaders have also expressed interest. Malaysia this year bought nearly $1 billion worth of FA-50 fighter jets, and South Korea is also seeking a $12 billion deal to sell new-generation infantry fighting vehicles to Australia. "Asian countries see us as a very attractive partner for defense deals, as we all seek to guard against rising tensions," said a diplomat in Seoul.

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