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 COUNTRY FOCUS

FUELLING GROWTH

Defence establishments in South Korea have tailored export strategies

and optimised them to the demands of customer countries

By JAY MENON

or South Korea, its defence industry is the new defence industry following an estimated US$15 billion arms
growth engine. The country is building an eco- deal with Poland, by far the largest military export contract
system that will help shift the defence industry in Seoul’s history. A framework agreement was signed with
from a sector centred on internal demand to Hyundai Rotem for the acquisition of a total of 1,000 K2
F one that is focussed on exports. tanks and its Polonized K2PL development version along
with accompanying vehicles, technical and engineering
support vehicles, accompanying bridges, and other ele-
Underscoring the government’s ambitions of transforming ments based on Polish solutions, as well as a training and
the country into an arms-exporting powerhouse, defence logistics package, ammunition supply and manufacturer’s
establishments in South Korea have tailored export strat- technical support.
egies, optimised to the demands of customer countries by
region, and have been conducting market development
activities in future effective markets in Europe, Africa, the Another framework agreement with Hanwha Defense
Middle East, and Latin America. covers the acquisition of a total of 672 K9A1 self-propelled
howitzers and its Polonized K9PL development version
along with accompanying vehicles, as well as a training
July 2022 marked a huge milestone for the South Korean
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