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South Korea eyes ‘giant leap forward’ in defence as analysts say wars boost bid to grow arms exports

arifnsn October 18, 2023

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South Korea on Tuesday opened one of Asia’s largest arms fairs to showcase its defence industry’s rags-to-riches story, as analysts say the Israel-Gaza conflict and Russia-Ukraine war could be a boon for Seoul’s goal to become the fourth-biggest weapons exporter.

At the opening ceremony of the biennial Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition, known as ADEX, President Yoon Suk-yeol said the defence industry of South Korea, which once relied on aid and arms imports, was entering “a new chapter”.

Speaking at the Seoul Air Base in the city’s southern suburbs, Yoon noted that the weapons on display at the fair included the home-grown 4.5-generation supersonic KF-21 fighter jet, surface-to-air missiles, K-9 howitzers and K-2 tanks, combat helicopters, infantry fighting vehicles and a precision-targeting rocket artillery system known as Chunmoo.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol delivers a speech at the ADEX 2023 opening ceremony at Seoul Air Base. Photo: dpa

“Our defence cooperation [with other countries] is now beyond simply exporting weapons,” Yoon said, adding the cooperation had expanded to encompass supplying equipment and parts, training and research. “We plan to establish a defence-security cooperation system with friendly countries by sharing our experience growing our defence industry.”

This year’s show is designed to help South Korea reach its goal of becoming the world’s fourth-largest arms exporter, Lee Jong-ho, chief of the fair’s organising office, told a briefing on Monday. More than 450 senior defence officials from 54 countries were expected to attend, along with hundreds of thousands of other professionals and members of the public, he said.

“This is an opportunity for Korea’s defence industry to draw international attention and take a giant leap forward,” Lee said.

South Korean-made long-range surface-to-air missiles at ADEX 2023 on Tuesday. Photo: EPA-EFE/Yonhap

Seoul has set a goal of reaching US$20 billion in defence exports this year, after sealing a record US$17.3 billion in arms sales last year, including huge deals with Poland for tanks, howitzers, warplanes and rockets.

In recent years, South Korea has placed roughly ninth in the world for defence exports, but Yoon has called for it to improve.

To commemorate the 70th anniversary of South Korea’s alliance with the United States, the show features a larger-than-usual display of American military power, including the B-52 bomber, US Air Force Colonel Charles Cameron said.

Under Yoon, South Korea and the US have stepped up displays of strength, particularly in terms of US nuclear-capable assets, in an effort to deter North Korea.

The KF-21 fighter jet made its public debut on Monday with a demonstration flight. It’s set to be joined by US military aircraft, including the F-22 stealth jet, F-16 fighter jet, T-50 trainer jet and U-2 spy plane.

A US B-52H strategic bomber lands at Cheongju Airport on Tuesday after taking part in ADEX 2023. Photo EPA-EFE/Yonhap

During the exhibition, which lasts until Sunday, two flyovers are also planned by the US Air Force’s nuclear-capable B-52 bombers.

Although B-52s – considered a key strategic asset alongside the B-1B and B-2 bombers – have been deployed to Seoul and Washington’s joint drills, this will mark the first time that one has landed at a South Korean airbase, Yonhap news agency reported.

In a further sign of growing trilateral security cooperation, South Korea, the US and Japan have completed work on a three-way communication hotline, Yonhap reported on Tuesday, citing a senior Seoul official.

The hotline comes at a time of military tensions with North Korea and China’s growing regional influence. The three countries’ leaders announced a commitment to consult each other in times of crisis at a summit at Camp David in August. The hotline is to be used by the leaders or their top national security advisers in times of security crises, and technical tests of the system have been completed, Yonhap said, citing the anonymous source.

US Air Force’s F-22 Raptor stealth fighter jets at ADEX 2023 at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam on Tuesday. Photo: EPA-EFE/Yonhap

Yang Uk, a senior researcher at the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, said ADEX provided a rare opportunity for potential buyers to inspect popular South Korea-produced weapons in one place at one time.

“The fresh conflict between Israel and Palestine and the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine are raising security concerns in many countries and this could be a boon for South Korea’s defence industry,” said Yang, an expert on military strategy and weapons systems.

Because of persistent threats from nuclear-armed North Korea, South Korea has been compelled to ratchet up efforts to develop cutting-edge conventional weapons, resulting in an enhanced competitiveness in global weapons markets, he said.

Its half-million-strong standing army provided a sizeable market and the need to train with new weapons also meant rare opportunities to test them, Yang added.

South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol (second from right) visits the Korea Aerospace Industries booth at ADEX 2023 on Tuesday. Photo: EPA-EFE/Yonhap

But Yang said there were downside risks in the growing resentment among EU states about importing weapons from outside the bloc and the US being piqued by South Korea expanding its weapons-market share.

Lee Il-woo, a senior researcher at the Korea Defence Network think tank, said Sunday’s change of government in Poland – which had emerged as Seoul’s largest client – cast a dark cloud over South Korea’s weapons exports to the European nation.

“The country’s weapons exports may suffer due to political situations in importing countries,” Lee said, noting that share prices of arms exports including Hanwha, LIG and Rotem plunged more than 3 per cent on Monday following the Polish election.

Additional reporting by Reuters

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