[WEEKENDER] K-defense exports enter new phase

Korea’s defense industry is entering a new phase as export growth gives way to foreign buyers demanding local production, technology transfers and deeper industrial cooperation. Defense exports rose from $9.5 billion in 2024 to $15.4 billion in 2025 and are forecast to top $27 billion this year. Poland has become a key partner, while Hanwha Aerospace and Hyundai Rotem are expanding local production and partnerships in Europe. The article says the industry now faces pressure to build stable global supply chains that can support long-term sales.

According to Export-Import Bank of Korea data, defense exports reached $9.5 billion in 2024 and rose to $15.4 billion in 2025.

The article says defense exports are forecast to top $27 billion this year.

Poland’s purchases of K2 tanks, K9 howitzers, FA-50 light combat aircraft and Chunmoo rocket launchers helped make Korea a major defense supplier in Europe.

Hanwha Aerospace has started building a local production facility for K9 howitzers in Romania since February.

Turkey developed its Altay battle tank based on technology from Korea’s K2 Black Panther tank.

Published Sep 19, 2026 7:00 am KST

Defense firms ride export wave, but supply chain stabilization poses new challenges

K2 Black Panther tanks roll during a military parade marking Poland's Armed Forces Day in Warsaw, Aug. 15. AFP-Yonhap

Korea’s defense industry stands at a critical crossroads, as its export boom gives way to a new phase in which major overseas buyers are demanding local production and supply chains in their own markets.

From K9 self-propelled howitzers and K2 battle tanks to Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers and air defense systems, Korean-made weapons have rapidly expanded their presence across Europe and other regions.

The export boom has transformed the defense industry from a largely domestic-oriented sector into one of Korea’s emerging global growth engines.

But the next stage may prove more challenging.

Korean defense firms can no longer rely solely on their traditional strengths of competitive prices, fast delivery and proven manufacturing capabilities.

As major customers increasingly demand technology transfers, local production and participation in their own defense industries, Korean companies are pushed to become not just arms exporters, but long-term industrial partners.

That shift could determine whether the current K-defense boom develops into a sustainable global business or remains a temporary export surge driven by geopolitical instability.

According to data from the Export-Import Bank of Korea, the nation’s defense exports reached $9.5 billion in 2024 and soared to $15.4 billion the next year. The figure will continue to grow rapidly and is forecast to top $27 billion this year.

Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers / Courtesy of Hanwha Aerospace

The growth has been particularly striking in Europe.

European countries sharply increased military spending and arms imports amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, creating an opening for Korean manufacturers. Korean companies were able to capitalize on the demand because they could offer relatively quick deliveries at competitive prices, while also providing technology transfer and industrial cooperation.

Poland became the clearest example of a key strategic defense partner with Korean firms.

Warsaw’s large-scale purement of K2 tanks, K9 howitzers, FA-50 light combat aircraft and Chunmoo rocket launchers helped establish Korea as a major defense supplier in Europe. However, the relationship is now evolving beyond simply shipping weapons from Korea.

Poland wants to strengthen its own defense manufacturing capabilities, meaning future contracts increasingly involve local production and industrial cooperation. Hyundai Rotem, for example, has been working with Poland’s state-run PGZ on a localized version of the K2 tank, while Hanwha Aerospace has established partnerships with the country to produce its arms products locally.

The same trend is spreading to other markets.

Hanwha Aerospace has begun building a local production facility for K9 howitzers in Romania since February to strengthen regional maintenance capabilities and stabilize its European supply chain.

This is becoming increasingly important, as European governments seek to reduce their dependence on foreign suppliers and expand domestic defense production.

“European countries are increasingly looking not simply for weapons, but for industrial capabilities, when clinching arms import contracts,” an industry official said.

A Korean-made K2 Black Panther tank of the Polish Armed Forces disembarks from a pontoon ferry during a military exercise in Klusy, June 24. Reuters-Yonhap

For Korean companies, localization therefore presents both an opportunity and a challenge.

Producing weapons closer to the customer can reduce logistical costs, improve access to follow-up contracts and create deeper relationships with local governments and defense companies. It can also make Korean weapons more attractive in procurement programs that prioritize domestic economic benefits.

But localization requires Korean firms to invest more capital overseas and share technologies that were previously kept within their domestic production networks.

There is also a longer-term strategic risk.

Technology transfers that help Korean companies win contracts for now could eventually strengthen the manufacturing capabilities of customer countries.

Korea Times graphic by Cho Sang-won

Turkey is a prime example of how technology transfers can reshape the global arms market. The country has been able to develop its Altay battle tank based on the technology of Korea’s K2 Black Panther tank.

That makes the balance between export expansion and technology protection increasingly important.

At the same time, Korea faces another challenge on whether its defense supply chain can keep pace with rapidly rising overseas orders.

The recent surge in exports has placed greater pressure on production capacity and specialized suppliers.

For an industry whose greatest competitive advantage has been its ability to deliver large quantities of weapons quickly, any disruption in the supply chain could directly undermine that advantage.

The success of K-defense was built partly on Korea’s broader manufacturing strengths. Decades of government-backed defense development, combined with the country’s sophisticated civilian industrial base, allowed Korean companies to develop efficient production systems and localized supply chains.

Polish soldiers stand in formation during a handing-over ceremony for Korean self-propelled K9 howitzers on the territory of the artillery base in Wegorzewo, Dec. 12, 2022. EPA-Yonhap

That model is now being tested on a much larger global scale.

The question is no longer whether Korea can manufacture competitive weapons. The bigger question is whether Korean defense companies can build a global industrial network capable of supporting those weapons for decades.

It also means moving beyond the traditional concept of an arms sale.

A tank or howitzer sold overseas is no longer necessarily the end product of a transaction. It can become the starting point for a much broader relationship involving local manufacturing, maintenance, training, logistics, software and future upgrades.

This could provide Korean defense companies with a more stable source of long-term revenue while strengthening their position against established players in the United States and Europe.

“The first chapter of K-defense was about proving that Korean weapons could compete globally, but the next chapter will be about proving that the industry can stay there sustainably with stable supply chains,” another industry official said.

随着出口增长让位于外国买家对本地化生产、技术转让和更深入的产业合作的需求，韩国国防工业正步入一个新阶段。国防出口额从2024年的95亿美元增至2025年的154亿美元，预计今年将超过270亿美元。波兰已成为重要的合作伙伴，而韩华航空航天和现代Rotem正在欧洲扩大本地化生产和合作。文章指出，该行业目前面临着构建能够支撑长期销售的稳定全球供应链的压力。

根据韩国进出口银行的数据，2024年韩国国防出口额达到95亿美元，2025年将增至154亿美元。

文章称，预计今年国防出口额将超过270亿美元。

波兰购买K2坦克、K9榴弹炮、FA-50轻型战斗机和天武火箭炮，使韩国成为欧洲主要的国防供应商。

韩华航空航天公司自2月份起在罗马尼亚开始建设K9榴弹炮的本地生产设施。

土耳其以韩国K2黑豹坦克的技术为基础，研制了阿尔泰主战坦克。

发布于2026年9月19日 上午7:00（韩国标准时间）

国防企业受益于出口浪潮，但供应链稳定面临新的挑战。

8月15日，在华沙举行的波兰武装部队日阅兵式上，K2“黑豹”坦克隆隆驶过。（法新社-韩联社）

韩国国防工业正处于一个关键的十字路口，其出口繁荣时期正进入一个新阶段，主要海外买家要求在其自身市场进行本地化生产和供应链。

从 K9 自行榴弹炮和 K2 主战坦克到天武多管火箭炮和防空系统，韩国制造的武器迅速扩大了其在欧洲和其他地区的影响力。

出口繁荣使国防工业从一个主要面向国内市场的行业转变为韩国新兴的全球增长引擎之一。

但下一阶段可能会更具挑战性。

韩国国防企业不能再仅仅依靠其传统的价格竞争力、快速交付和成熟的制造能力等优势了。

随着主要客户越来越要求技术转让、本地生产和参与其自身的国防工业，韩国企业被迫不仅成为武器出口商，还要成为长期的产业合作伙伴。

这种转变可能会决定当前的韩国国防繁荣是会发展成为可持续的全球业务，还是仅仅是由地缘政治不稳定驱动的暂时出口激增。

根据韩国进出口银行的数据，韩国国防出口额在2024年达到95亿美元，并在次年飙升至154亿美元。这一数字将继续快速增长，预计今年将超过270亿美元。

春武多管火箭炮 / 图片由韩华航空航天公司提供

欧洲的增长尤为显著。

在俄罗斯入侵乌克兰期间，欧洲各国大幅增加军费开支和武器进口，这为韩国制造商创造了机会。韩国企业能够抓住这一市场需求，因为它们可以提供价格具有竞争力的、交货速度相对较快的产品，同时还能进行技术转让和产业合作。

波兰成为韩国企业重要的战略防务伙伴的最典型例子。

华沙大规模采购K2坦克、K9榴弹炮、FA-50轻型战斗机和“天武”火箭炮，帮助韩国确立了其在欧洲的主要国防供应国地位。然而，如今这种关系已不再局限于韩国的武器出口。

波兰希望加强自身的国防制造能力，这意味着未来的合同将越来越多地涉及本地生产和产业合作。例如，现代Rotem公司一直在与波兰国营的PGZ公司合作开发K2坦克的本地化版本，而韩华航空航天公司也已与波兰建立了合作伙伴关系，在当地生产其武器产品。

同样的趋势正在蔓延到其他市场。

韩华航空航天公司自 2 月起在罗马尼亚开始建设 K9 榴弹炮本地生产设施，以加强区域维护能力并稳定其欧洲供应链。

这一点变得越来越重要，因为欧洲各国政府都在寻求减少对外国供应商的依赖，并扩大国内国防生产。

一位业内人士表示：“欧洲国家在签订武器进口合同时，越来越注重的不仅仅是武器，还有工业能力。”

6月24日，在克卢西举行的一次军事演习中，一辆波兰武装部队的韩国制造的K2“黑豹”坦克从浮桥渡船上驶下。（路透社-韩联社）

因此，对于韩国企业而言，本地化既是机遇也是挑战。

在更靠近客户的地方生产武器可以降低后勤成本，提高后续合同的获取机会，并加深与地方政府和国防企业的联系。此外，这还能使韩国武器在优先考虑国内经济效益的采购项目中更具吸引力。

但本土化需要韩国企业在海外投入更多资金，并分享以前在其国内生产网络内保留的技术。

此外，还存在长期的战略风险。

技术转让目前可以帮助韩国公司赢得合同，但从长远来看，这可能会增强客户国的制造能力。

《韩国时报》图表，作者：赵相元

土耳其是技术转让如何重塑全球军火市场的绝佳例证。该国利用韩国K2“黑豹”坦克的技术，成功研发出了自己的“阿尔泰”主战坦克。

这使得出口扩张与技术保护之间的平衡变得越来越重要。

与此同时，韩国还面临着另一个挑战，即其国防供应链能否跟上海外订单快速增长的步伐。

近期出口激增给生产能力和专业供应商带来了更大的压力。

对于一个以快速交付大量武器为最大竞争优势的行业来说，供应链的任何中断都可能直接削弱这一优势。

韩国国防的成功部分得益于韩国整体制造业的强大实力。数十年来政府大力支持的国防发展，加上韩国成熟的民用工业基础，使得韩国企业能够建立高效的生产体系​​和本地化的供应链。

2022年12月12日，在波兰韦戈热沃炮兵基地，波兰士兵列队接受韩国K9自行榴弹炮的交接仪式。图片来源：EPA-韩联社

目前，该模型正在全球范围内进行更大规模的测试。

现在的问题不再是韩国能否制造出具有竞争力的武器，而是韩国国防企业能否建立一个能够为这些武器提供未来数十年支持的全球工业网络。

这也意味着要超越传统的军售概念。

出口到海外的坦克或榴弹炮不再仅仅是交易的最终产品。它可以成为更广泛合作关系的起点，涉及本地制造、维护、培训、物流、软件以及未来的升级改造。

这可以为韩国国防企业提供更稳定的长期收入来源，同时增强其对抗美国和欧洲老牌企业的地位。

另一位业内人士表示：“韩国国防的第一阶段是证明韩国武器能够在全球范围内竞争，但下一阶段将是证明该行业能够通过稳定的供应链持续保持竞争力。”