[COVER STORY] K-defense expands global footprint amid shifting security order

Korea’s defense industry is expanding globally as prolonged conflicts and shifting security policies drive countries to strengthen military capabilities and domestic supply chains. Experts identify U.S. burden-sharing demands, geopolitical competition and the need for self-reliant defense capacity as major drivers of global rearmament. Korea’s defense exports rose to 20.8 trillion won in 2025, but supply-chain resilience, cost asymmetry and localization challenges remain.

Korea’s defense exports increased from around 4.7 trillion won in 2015 to 20.8 trillion won in 2025, more than quadrupling over the decade.

Korea accounted for 6 percent of global arms exports in the previous year and ranked fourth worldwide, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Kang Eun-ho recommended mapping supply chains for each weapons system, localizing key components and diversifying suppliers to reduce bottlenecks.

A PAC-3 interceptor costs around $4 million per round, compared with roughly $20,000 to $50,000 for an Iranian Shahed-136 drone, creating an estimated cost gap of 80 to 200 times.

The DAPA operates the Global Value Chain 30 program to help Korean SMEs enter global defense supply chains through defense offset arrangements tied to imports.

Published Oct 8, 2026 12:34 pm KST

Global rearmament wave gives Korean defense industry both chances, challenges

Rep. Song Young-gil of the Democratic Party of Korea delivers congragulatory remarks at the 2026 KorAsia Forum at the FKI Tower in Yeouido, Seoul, Wednesday. Korea Times photo by Park Si-mon

The global security order is undergoing one of its most profound transformations since the end of the Cold War, as the prolonged Russia-Ukraine war and Middle East conflict push countries around the world to strengthen their own military capabilities and secure their defense supply chains.

These ongoing conflicts, which experts describe as an era of global rearmament, are offering chances for Korea's defense industry to expand as a global player, while the industry grapples with challenges such as supply chain disruptions.

Experts and industry figures see three major factors accelerating the global rearmament trend, according to Kang Eun-ho, former head of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA).

The first factor is a shift in the United States' approach to international security. The U.S., which has led the postwar international security architecture, is increasingly putting its "America First" policy while calling on its allies to assume a greater share of the burden for their own defense structure. The second factor is growing geopolitical competition stemming from Russia's efforts to restore its sphere of influence and China's rise as a major power. The third is a growing recognition among countries of their need to independently build up their defense capabilities as international conflicts become increasingly prolonged.

"When a crisis strikes, countries need military capabilities that can respond immediately, as well as maintenance capabilities and production capacity," Kang said during the 2026 KorAsia Forum, hosted by The Korea Times with its sister publication Hankook Ilbo, in Seoul, Wednesday.

"They also need the ability to hold out until outside assistance arrives, and this has made it increasingly difficult for countries to neglect their own defense capabilities."

The focus of rearmament vary across regions. Europe has moved to expand air defense, ammunition stocks and ground forces following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, while promoting joint procurement and expanding defense production. In the Middle East, countries are investing heavily in air defense systems and capabilities to counter drones. Meanwhile in East and Southeast Asia, China and Japan are strengthening maritime and missile capabilities, while countries such as the Philippines and Singapore are investing in advanced maritime defense systems.

While priorities differ from region to region, the common trend is clear: Countries are rearming and seeking to expand their domestic defense industrial bases.

Cheongung-II medium-range surface-to-air missile in a live-fire exercise / Courtesy of LIG D&A

K-defense emerges as global player

The global rearmament drive has ironically created new opportunities for Korea's defense industry. Once a country that depended heavily on U.S.-supplied weapons, including M1 rifles and carbines after the 1950-53 Korean War, it has now emerged as a major producer and exporter of high-performance defense systems.

Korea's defense exports rose from around 4.7 trillion won ($3.5 billion) in 2015 to 20.8 trillion ($15.4 billion) in 2025, more than quadrupling over the decade. It accounts for 6 percent of global arms exports last year, ranking fourth worldwide, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

"K-defense has been recognized on the global stage, from the K9 self-propelled howitzer, Cheongung guided missile system, K2 battle tank and FA-50 light attack aircraft to naval defense systems," main opposition Peolple Power Party floor leader Rep. Jeong Jeom-sig said at the forum. "The industry's success is based on Korea's indigenous technological capabilities, strict adherence to delivery schedules and, above all, the strong trust it has built with customer countries."

Need to address challenges to go forward

For K-defense to sustain its achievements, it is essential to address the challenges ahead.

One of the industry's biggest hurdles is the potential impact of supply disruptions of critical materials on production, maintenance and delivery commitments. The government and defense companies need to examine the origins of critical minerals, specialty materials, as well as the structure of their suppliers, experts said.

"A bottleneck at any point in the supply chain can disrupt the entire production process," Kang said. "Even when there appears to be no problem at the level of a completed weapons system, production can be brought to a halt by a shortage of a particular material or component."

He suggested creating supply chain maps for each weapons system, putting efforts to localize key components and diversifying suppliers. Such measures, Kang said, would help identify bottlenecks and establish priorities for supply chain security.

Another challenge is seeking a balance between high-end weapons systems and low-cost ones. As seen in the conflict in the Middle East, modern warfare created extreme cost asymmetries, with relatively cheap offensive weapons exhausting far more expensive defense platforms.

A Shahed 136 attack drone hangs over the stage on Day 3 of the annual Conservative Party conference in Birmingham, U.K., Tuesday. AFP-Yonhap

Yoo Jeh-seung, a senior executive adviser at LIG D&A, said the cost of a U.S. PAC-3 interceptor is estimated at around $4 million per round, compared with roughly $20,000 to $50,000 for an Iranian Shahed-136 drone.

"That represents a cost gap of roughly 80 to 200 times," Yoo said. "If attackers can launch large numbers of inexpensive drones while defenders have to expend costly interceptors, no country can sustain that kind of exchange for long."

Another priority is strengthening the broader defense industrial ecosystem.

K-defense has so far centered on major prime contractors, backed by a network of defense suppliers. But as countries increasingly begin to adopt national policies to promote their domestic defense industries, they are pursuing more localization.

"The more localization expands, the greater the risk that domestic defense suppliers, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that make up much of the supplier base, will see their order volumes decline," said Kim Dong-beom, a research fellow at the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses.

The DAPA is currently operating the Global Value Chain 30 program, which seeks to help Korean SMEs enter global defense supply chains, primarily through defense offset arrangements tied to imports.

Kim, however, says Korea should further explore ways to create a virtuous cycle of reciprocal procurement when Korean defense companies export overseas. "Such measures would help ensure that domestic defense SMEs and suppliers can grow alongside major prime contractors, rather than seeing their role diminish as exports become increasingly localized," Kim added.

随着冲突持续不断以及安全政策的转变，各国纷纷加强军事能力和国内供应链，韩国国防工业正在全球范围内扩张。专家指出，美国分担军费的要求、地缘政治竞争以及对自主防御能力的需求是全球重新武装的主要驱动因素。韩国的国防出口额预计在2025年将达到20.8万亿韩元，但供应链韧性、成本不对称和本地化等挑战依然存在。

韩国国防出口额从 2015 年的约 4.7 万亿韩元增至 2025 年的 20.8 万亿韩元，十年间增长超过四倍。

根据斯德哥尔摩国际和平研究所的数据，韩国去年占全球武器出口的6%，位居世界第四。

康恩浩建议绘制每种武器系统的供应链图，实现关键部件的本地化和供应商多元化，以减少瓶颈。

PAC-3 拦截器每发成本约为 400 万美元，而伊朗 Shahed-136 无人机每发成本约为 2 万至 5 万美元，两者成本相差约 80 至 200 倍。

韩国国防采办促进局 (DAPA) 运营“全球价值链 30”计划，旨在通过与进口挂钩的国防抵消安排，帮助韩国中小企业进入全球国防供应链。

发布于2026年10月8日下午12:34（韩国标准时间）

全球军备重整浪潮既给韩国国防工业带来了机遇，也带来了挑战。

周三，韩国民主党议员宋永吉在首尔汝矣岛FKI大厦举行的2026年韩国亚洲论坛上致贺词。韩国时报朴时文摄

全球安全秩序正经历着冷战结束以来最深刻的变革之一，旷日持久的俄乌战争和中东冲突迫使世界各国加强自身军事能力，保障国防供应链安全。

专家们将这些持续不断的冲突描述为全球重新武装的时代，这为韩国国防工业发展成为全球参与者提供了机会，但与此同时，该行业也面临着供应链中断等挑战。

据国防采办计划管理局（DAPA）前局长姜恩浩称，专家和业内人士认为，有三个主要因素正在加速全球重新武装的趋势。

第一个因素是美国国际安全战略的转变。作为战后国际安全架构的主导者，美国日益奉行“美国优先”政策，同时呼吁盟友承担更多自身国防建设的责任。第二个因素是地缘政治竞争的加剧，这源于俄罗斯试图恢复其势力范围以及中国崛起为大国。第三个因素是，随着国际冲突日益旷日持久，各国越来越认识到自身独立发展国防能力的必要性。

“当危机来临时，各国需要能够立即做出反应的军事能力，以及维护能力和生产能力，”康在周三于首尔举行的由《韩国时报》及其姊妹报《韩国日报》联合主办的2026年韩国亚洲论坛上表示。

“他们还需要有能力坚持到外部援助到来，这使得各国越来越难以忽视自身的防御能力。”

各地区的重整军备重点不尽相同。俄罗斯入侵乌克兰后，欧洲加强了防空、弹药储备和地面部队建设，同时推进联合采购并扩大国防生产。在中东，各国正大力投资防空系统和反无人机能力。与此同时，在东亚和东南亚，中国和日本正在加强海上和导弹能力，而菲律宾和新加坡等国则在投资先进的海上防御系统。

虽然各个地区的优先事项有所不同，但共同的趋势很明显：各国都在重新武装自己，并寻求扩大其国内国防工业基础。

清宫-II型中程地空导弹实弹射击演习 / 图片由LIG D&A提供

K-defense 成为全球参与者

具有讽刺意味的是，全球重新武装的浪潮反而为韩国国防工业创造了新的机遇。韩国曾经严重依赖美国提供的武器，包括1950-53年朝鲜战争后进口的M1步枪和卡宾枪，如今却已崛起为高性能国防系统的主要生产国和出口国。

韩国国防出口额从2015年的约4.7万亿韩元（约合35亿美元）增至2025年的20.8万亿韩元（约合154亿美元），十年间增长超过四倍。据斯德哥尔摩国际和平研究所的数据，韩国去年的武器出口额占全球武器出口总额的6%，位居世界第四。

“从K9自行榴弹炮、天宫导弹系统、K2主战坦克和FA-50轻型攻击机到海军防御系统，韩国国防已在全球舞台上获得认可，”主要反对党人民力量党党首郑严实议员在论坛上表示。“该行业的成功基于韩国自主研发的技术能力、严格遵守交付计划，以及最重要的是，与客户国建立的牢固信任。”

需要应对挑战才能继续前进

为了使K-defense能够保持其取得的成就，必须应对未来的挑战。

该行业面临的最大挑战之一是关键材料供应中断可能对生产、维护和交付承诺造成的影响。专家表示，政府和国防企业需要审查关键矿物、特种材料的来源，以及其供应商的结构。

康表示：“供应链中任何环节的瓶颈都可能扰乱整个生产过程。即使成品武器系统看起来没有问题，某种特定材料或部件的短缺也可能导致生产停滞。”

他建议为每种武器系统绘制供应链图，努力实现关键部件的本地化和供应商多元化。康表示，这些措施有助于发现瓶颈并确定供应链安全的优先事项。

另一个挑战是如何在高端武器系统和低成本武器系统之间寻求平衡。正如中东冲突所表明的那样，现代战争造成了极端的成本不对称，相对廉价的进攻性武器消耗了远比其昂贵的防御平台。

周二，在英国伯明翰举行的保守党年度大会第三天，一架“沙赫德136”攻击无人机盘旋在会场上方。法新社-韩联社

LIG D&A 的高级执行顾问 Yoo Jeh-seung 表示，美国 PAC-3 拦截器的成本估计约为每发 400 万美元，而伊朗 Shahed-136 无人机的成本约为每发 2 万至 5 万美元。

“这相当于大约80到200倍的成本差距，”尤说。“如果攻击者可以发射大量廉价无人机，而防御者却不得不花费昂贵的拦截器，那么没有哪个国家能够长期承受这种代价。”

另一项优先事项是加强更广泛的国防工业生态系统。

韩国国防工业目前主要以大型主承包商为中心，并由国防供应商网络提供支持。但随着各国越来越多地出台国家政策以促进本国国防工业发展，它们正在寻求更高的本土化水平。

韩国国防分析研究所研究员金东范表示：“本土化程度越高，国内国防供应商，特别是占供应商基础很大比例的中小型企业（SME），其订单量下降的风险就越大。”

韩国国防采办促进局 (DAPA) 目前正在推行“全球价值链 30”计划，旨在帮助韩国中小企业进入全球国防供应链，主要通过与进口相关的国防抵消安排来实现。

然而，金表示，韩国应进一步探索如何在韩国国防企业出口海外时，建立互惠采购的良性循环。“这些措施将有助于确保国内国防中小企业和供应商能够与大型主承包商共同成长，而不是随着出口日益本土化而导致其作用减弱，”金补充道。