The recent sale to Malaysia partly speaks to the need for affordable and advanced military equipment in the region. Accordingly, the Malaysian Ministry of Defense announced the signing of a $2.28 billion agreement at the Langkawi Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition in 2023, including the purchase of 18 FA- light attack aircraft. 50 from Korea Aerospace Industries. Previously, the Philippines and Indonesia also became the top two arms buyers from South Korea, accounting for 16% and 14% of the country’s arms sales, respectively. From 2017 to 2021, South Korea’s arms exports to Southeast Asian countries are just under $2 billion. However, in 2022, this number has increased to more than $17 billion, more than double the previous year’s record of $7.25 billion.

Explaining why South Korea  is an attractive option for many Southeast Asian countries, Ian Storey, senior fellow at the ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute in Singapore, said that unlike major powers, Seoul is ready to transition. technology and support the development of military industry for countries in the region. Accordingly, weapons manufactured in Korea are both modern and cheaper than other Western equipment, and Korean defense companies are willing to expand exports to Southeast Asian countries.

South Korea’s KF-21 Boramae multirole stealth fighter. Photo: mods.com

Southeast Asia expert at the Asan Institute of Political Studies in Seoul, Jaehyon Lee said that Southeast Asian countries also consider South Korea a reliable partner with “an undisguised strategic program” as well as ” less political and strategic burden” compared to other arms suppliers. “Seoul’s arms exports in recent years have been more of a commercial approach than a strategic one,” he said, adding that the United States is mainly focused on selling advanced weapons and expensive while “Southeast Asian countries are not so necessary”.

However, these Southeast Asian countries also have other options. Ristian Supriyanto, a PhD student at the Australian National University, said arms exporters from Turkey, Brazil and other “rising” nations are also competing with South Korea to offer alternatives. position. He pointed out that the international arms market is still a “buyer’s market”. Some Southeast Asian countries may not want to switch to Korean-made weapons because of financial problems or do not want to part with traditional partners.  

Chris H. Park, a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies in an article published on the US Diplomatic Scholars website, said that Korea has established itself as a serious competitor in the market. international arms school. This is the result of a 20-year effort by the South Korean government to build an export-competitive defense industry, he said. Under the administration of President Yoon Suk Yeol, South Korea has an ambitious goal of becoming the world’s fourth-largest arms exporter by 2027 (after the US, Russia and France).

According to Chris H. Park, South Korean weapons are highly interoperable with U.S. systems due to extensive defense cooperation with Washington — especially through licensed manufacturing and competent design. awareness. For example, the K2 assault rifle can use standard M16 magazines as well as other NATO-compliant cartridges, while the K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzer can load and fire with American ammunition. These Korean weapons are competitively priced. The range and warhead power of the AT-1K “Raybot” missile are similar to the American “Light Javelin”, but the estimated price is only 1/3. The advanced self-propelled gun K9 Thunder is equivalent to the German PzH 2000 self-propelled gun, but the unit price is lower.

K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzer made in Korea. Photo: European Defense Review Magazine

Global arms sales statistics for 2022 from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) show a sharp increase in arms imports in countries facing geopolitical tensions. increase. Therefore, it is not surprising that these countries are included in the list of South Korea’s arms partners. South Korea is currently the third largest arms supplier to the member states of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ( NATO ), after the United States and France. South Korea’s recent $13.7 billion arms deal with Poland is expected to be a key factor in South Korea’s ambitions to strengthen its military-industrial complex.  

South Korea will also face familiar US conundrums about what to do when weapons are sold to partners with governance problems. Up to now, Korean public opinion has remained steadfastly in favor of arms sales. However, some small civil society groups have previously opposed arms sales, citing human rights concerns. Some members of the opposition party have also proposed changes to the Foreign Trade Law, which requires foreign arms sales to be approved by parliament.

“Not to mention the export competitiveness and technological prowess needed to achieve this feat, it is just whether South Korea is ready to face the challenges of becoming a global arms manufacturer. or not, there is still an open question,” said expert Chris H. Park.