# Thank You Seoul, K-Defense Is Saving Western Deterrence > Introduction: a letter to an ally that delivers when it counts - Author: Maxime Marquette - Publisher: MadMax (https://mad-max.co) - Section: Open letter - Published: 2026-07-04 - Canonical URL: https://mad-max.co/en/article/merci-seoul-le-k-defense-sauve-la-dissuasion-occidentale ## Key takeaways - In 2025, South Korea's share of global arms exports reached 6%, up from 3.6% in 2024, according to a Hankyoreh analysis of SIPRI data. - Defense exports reached 15.4 billion dollars in 2025, up 60% year-over-year, with destination countries rising from seven in 2022 to sixteen. - Poland is the flagship client, and the big four defense groups saw combined revenue rise 81.6% in 2025. - DAPA targets 20 billion dollars in exports by 2030, and South Korea is the second-largest supplier to European NATO members, according to the Institute for Security and Development Policy. - The author credits Trump's pressure on European allies with accelerating rearmament, while noting that the approach was often humiliating for some allies. ## Introduction: a letter to an ally that delivers when it counts ### Dear Seoul, you have become indispensable Dear **South Korean government**, dear **engineers** and **workers** of **Hanwha Aerospace**, **Hyundai Rotem**, **Korea Aerospace Industries**, and **LIG Nex1**, I write this open letter because the Western world owes you a gratitude it doesn't express often enough. In **2025**, your country became the **world's fourth-largest arms exporter**, a rise as rapid as it is strategically vital for the security of **Europe**. According to an analysis of **Stockholm International Peace Research Institute** data conducted by the newspaper **Hankyoreh**, **South Korea's** share of global arms exports climbed to **6%** last year, its highest level ever recorded. You went from **3.6%** in **2024**, which placed you eighth, to this fourth-place position among exporting powers, an **83%** increase in a single year. ### Overtaking historic arms-industry giants What you have accomplished is no small matter: you have surpassed **Russia**, **Italy**, **Germany**, **China**, the **United Kingdom**, and the **Netherlands** in the global ranking of arms exporters. Only the **United States** with **42%**, **France** with roughly **10%**, and **Israel** with **7.8%** still rank ahead of you. At a time when the **war in Ukraine** brutally reminded the **West** of the urgent need to rebuild its military production capacity, your industry stepped up at the exact moment **Europe** needed it most. *Watching a democratic ally fill the industrial void left by decades of European disarmament this quickly is one of the rare pieces of good geopolitical news of this difficult decade.* ## The context that made this rise possible ### The war in Ukraine as a historic accelerator Since **Russia's invasion of Ukraine** in **2022**, arms exports have become one of the fastest-growing sectors of the **South Korean** economy, securing multibillion-dollar contracts for a full range of products, from artillery to missiles to warships, according to **Reuters**. **Poland**, in particular, has become a flagship client since **2022**, buying **K2 tanks**, **K9 Thunder self-propelled howitzers**, and **Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers** — a contract that remains, even today, one of the largest arms deals in South Korean history. ### Sharp export growth despite a temporary dip According to the **Seoul Economic Daily**, South Korean defense exports jumped **60%** year-over-year to reach **15.4 billion dollars** in **2025**, the second-highest total on record after the **17.3 billion dollars** of **2022**. The number of destination countries also rose from seven in **2022**, including **Poland** and the **United Arab Emirates**, to sixteen last year — a remarkable diversification of export markets. This diversification now protects **South Korea** from excessive dependence on a single client, a strategic lesson other Western defense industries would do well to study closely. *Diversifying export markets while piling up contracts isn't just good business management — it's a guarantee of industrial resilience for decades to come.* ## Record profits at the four major defense groups ### An unprecedented leap in profitability According to **CHOSUNBIZ**, South Korea's "**big four**" defense groups — **Hanwha Aerospace**, **Hyundai Rotem**, **Korea Aerospace Industries**, and **LIG Nex1** — posted a spectacular rise in profits, driven by exports and new international partnerships. Their combined revenue reached roughly **40.9 trillion won** in **2025**, up **81.6%** year-over-year. Analysts at several South Korean brokerages now project that the combined revenue of these four companies could reach **37.4 billion dollars** in **2026**, a growth trajectory that would confirm **South Korea's** lasting place among the world's major arms powers. ### Hanwha Aerospace leading the charge **Hanwha Aerospace**, the country's largest defense company, reported a **21%** rise in quarterly operating profit in the first quarter of **2026**, according to the **Seoul Economic Daily**. Since **2022**, the company has sold its **K9 Thunder howitzers** to **Poland**, **Estonia**, **Romania**, and **Norway**, alongside its **Chunmoo rocket launcher** systems. This strong financial performance allows the company to reinvest heavily in research and development, consolidating a competitive edge that could prove durable against Western competitors sometimes slowed by more sluggish and bureaucratic procurement processes. *An industrial sector that doubles its profits in a single year while equipping NATO allies is exactly the kind of dynamism the West needs to stay the course against its adversaries.* ## The ambitious 20-billion-dollar target ### A clear target set by Seoul According to South Korea's defense acquisition agency, **DAPA**, the country now aims for **20 billion dollars** in arms exports by **2030**, with the ambition of reaching a **6%** share of the global market. **DAPA** Minister **Lee Yong-cheol** noted that **South Korea** had surpassed **15 billion dollars** in exports in **2025**, marking the end of two consecutive years of decline. Defense Minister **Ahn Gyu-back** stressed the need to further strengthen export efforts, stating that the country is "engaged in a race to become one of the top four nations in the arms sector." ### Latin America, a new strategic frontier Beyond **Europe**, **South Korea** is now betting on a breakthrough in **Latin America**, a region where competition from traditional Western suppliers remains less intense than in the European market. This geographic diversification is part of a long-term strategy aimed at not relying solely on orders tied to the **war in Ukraine** context, which could one day dry up. This cautious approach reflects an industrial vision that goes beyond mere short-term opportunism: **Seoul** is building a lasting commercial presence, not just a one-off response to the current European crisis. *A nation already preparing its defense industry for the post-Ukraine-war era shows a strategic clarity that many Western governments, mired in electoral short-termism, would do well to imitate.* ## The strategic role for European deterrence ### Filling the void left by decades of disarmament For decades, several European countries scaled back their military production capacity, convinced that continental peace was secured after the end of the **Cold War**. **Russia's invasion of Ukraine** brutally exposed the limits of that assumption, forcing **Europe** to urgently rebuild stockpiles and production capacities it had allowed to erode. **South Korea**, thanks to a defense industrial base that remained robust — a direct legacy of the permanent tension with **North Korea** — was able to fill a significant part of that void faster than many European manufacturers themselves, often constrained by aging production lines. ### Poland, the showcase of this strategic cooperation **Poland** remains the most emblematic client of this relationship, having signed what remains one of the largest arms deals in recent history, including roughly **a thousand tanks**, hundreds of pieces of self-propelled artillery, and dozens of fighter jets. This Polish-Korean partnership concretely illustrates how an Asian ally can directly strengthen **NATO's** eastern flank against the Russian threat. This cooperation goes beyond a simple commercial transaction: it creates lasting industrial and military ties between **Seoul** and **Warsaw**, reinforcing the cohesion of a broader Western front against **Moscow's** revisionist ambitions. *That Poland, on the front line against Russia, chose Korean industrial reliability rather than waiting for delayed Western deliveries speaks volumes about the real priorities of a country that knows it is under threat.* ## A European second place that changes the equation ### Behind the United States, ahead of everyone else According to the **Institute for Security and Development Policy**, **South Korea** is now the **second-largest supplier of weapons** to European **NATO** member states, just behind the **United States**, with a European market share of about **8.6%**. This position now surpasses historic arms powers like **Israel** and **France** in this specific market. This rapid rise, documented by several independent research institutes, shows just how much the Western defense architecture has transformed in just a few years, integrating non-traditional partners into its collective deterrence framework. ### A growth trajectory that has military analysts taking notice Retired Lieutenant General **Chun In-bum**, interviewed by the **Institute for Security and Development Policy**, notes that **South Korea**, starting from a status as a mere arms importer, rose to become the world's fourth-largest exporter in **2025**, gaining six spots in a single year — a trajectory with virtually no equivalent in the recent history of the global defense industry. This rapid rise, however, comes with legitimate questions about the South Korean industry's ability to sustain such a growth pace over the long term, particularly regarding skilled labor and supply chains for critical components. *Climbing six spots in the global arms exporter ranking in a single year is no statistical accident — it's proof that a strategic industrial decision, made at the right time, can turn a country into a first-rank geopolitical player.* ## The risks and limits of this rapid growth ### Still-significant dependence on a few key clients Despite diversification to sixteen destination countries, a significant share of South Korean export revenue remains concentrated in a small number of major contracts, notably those tied to **Poland**. This relative concentration exposes the industry to risk should a major client reduce future orders, a vulnerability South Korean industry leaders openly acknowledge. Some analysts also note that rapid growth could, over time, strain production capacity and quality control, a challenge the four major defense groups will need to manage rigorously to preserve their newly earned reputation as reliable suppliers. ### International competition won't stand still Faced with this South Korean rise, other industrial powers, notably in Europe, are unlikely to remain passive. Several countries on the continent have already announced massive reinvestment plans in their own defense production capacity, which could, in the medium term, reduce European dependence on Asian suppliers. This competitive dynamic, far from being a problem for the **West** as a whole, is instead an encouraging sign: the need for rearmament has finally been understood on both sides of the **Atlantic** and beyond, with several reliable suppliers able to meet demand. *Europe finally reinvesting in its own defense industrial base isn't bad news for South Korea — it's a sign that the lesson of strategic vulnerability has finally sunk in everywhere it needed to.* ## Trump's role in this rearmament dynamic ### American pressure that sped things up It must be honestly acknowledged: pressure from the **Trump** administration on European allies to increase their defense spending directly helped accelerate this continental rearmament wave, creating massive demand for suppliers capable of delivering quickly, like **South Korea**. Even though this pressure was often delivered bluntly and, at times, humiliatingly for certain allies, its net effect on the overall Western deterrence posture is hard to dispute: rising defense budgets, massive orders placed, and a global industrial base — now including **Seoul** — mobilized to meet this demand. ### Collective deterrence strengthened despite the tensions This dynamic illustrates an interesting paradox of the current period: diplomatic tensions within the **Atlantic Alliance** itself have not prevented a concrete and measurable strengthening of Western military capabilities, thanks in part to strategic partners like **South Korea**, which is not even formally part of **NATO**. This South Korean contribution to Western deterrence demonstrates that collective defense against **Russia**, **China**, **Iran**, and **North Korea** no longer rests solely on formal **NATO** member states, but on a broader network of allied democracies sharing the same fundamental strategic interests. *Whether Trump was a blunt goad rather than a patient diplomat matters less, in the end, than the concrete result: allies finally rearming seriously, with the help of reliable partners like South Korea.* ## An industrial model that inspires other nations ### The Korean lesson for Western defense industries South Korea's success rests partly on rapid production capacity, competitive delivery times, and prices often more attractive than those of certain traditional Western competitors. This combination has won over European clients facing urgent rearmament needs amid the persistent Russian threat. Several defense analysts believe this Korean industrial model — mass production, platform standardization, contractual flexibility — could inspire similar reforms in European defense industries, historically more fragmented among multiple national manufacturers with limited production capacity. ### A national military footing that explains this resilience It should not be forgotten that this industrial success rests on decades of continuous investment in **South Korea's national defense**, dictated by the permanent threat posed by **North Korea** at its border. This existential necessity kept an industrial base robust, while many Western countries cut defense investment after the end of the **Cold War**. This lesson deserves to be remembered: a strong defense industry is not built in a few months of geopolitical panic, but over decades of constant vigilance against a threat taken seriously, a discipline **South Korea** has maintained relentlessly. *South Korea didn't need the invasion of Ukraine to understand the importance of a robust defense industry — it had already been living, every single day, with the North Korean threat at its door, a lesson in clarity that Europe took decades to relearn.* ## The next steps in this rise ### Toward new contracts in the works Several negotiations are underway for major new contracts, notably concerning the export of **KF-21** fighter jets to various countries, including **Indonesia**, which plans to finalize the purchase of **sixteen aircraft** this year according to **CHOSUNBIZ**. These future contracts would further consolidate South Korea's presence in the global military aviation market, a particularly competitive and strategic segment. The diversification of exported products — from tanks to fighter jets to naval systems — illustrates an industry that does not bet on a single type of equipment, thereby reducing its vulnerability to demand fluctuations in any particular segment of the arms market. ### A trajectory worth watching closely for Western allies For Western governments, **South Korea's** continued rise in the global ranking of arms exporters deserves sustained attention, both as a reliable strategic partner and as a potential industrial model to study for accelerating their own defense production capacity. This trajectory, if maintained at the current pace, could see **South Korea** reach its **20-billion-dollar** export target well before the government's **2030** deadline, a performance that would durably confirm its status as a first-rank defense industrial power. *If Seoul hits its 20-billion target ahead of schedule, it won't just be a Korean commercial victory — it will be a victory for the collective capacity of the West and its allies to rearm in an increasingly dangerous world.* ## What this means for the global geopolitical balance ### A welcome counterweight to revisionist powers In a world where **Russia**, **China**, **Iran**, and **North Korea** increasingly coordinate their strategic interests, every strengthening of an allied democracy's defense industrial capacity represents a welcome strategic counterweight. **South Korea's** rise fits precisely into this logic of collective resistance against authoritarian ambitions. This Korean industrial strengthening is not limited to its commercial aspect: it sends a clear signal to authoritarian regimes that the democratic camp has industrial resources that are sufficient, diversified, and resilient enough to sustain a prolonged defense effort, regardless of how long current geopolitical tensions last. ### A de facto alliance between Pacific and Atlantic democracies This growing cooperation between **South Korea** and European **NATO** countries illustrates a broader strategic convergence between **Pacific** and **Atlantic** democracies, united against threats that, while geographically distinct, share a common origin: the rejection of the rules-based international order by several authoritarian powers. This strategic convergence, made concrete through South Korean arms contracts in **Europe**, may well foreshadow a more integrated global security architecture among allied democracies, going beyond the traditional regional boundaries of **NATO** and its Asian partnerships. *Seeing Pacific and Atlantic democracies converge industrially against the same authoritarian regimes is no mere commercial coincidence — it is the slow but real formation of a global alliance of freedom against authoritarianism.* ## The internal challenges Seoul still has to overcome ### The question of skilled labor Faced with such rapid growth, several South Korean defense companies are struggling to recruit highly skilled workers, particularly engineers specialized in advanced weapons systems. This potential talent shortage could, if not resolved quickly, slow the country's ability to sustain its current growth pace over the long term. The South Korean government has announced additional investment in technical training and defense engineering education, recognizing that the sustainability of this industrial success depends directly on its ability to train the next generation of specialists. ### Regional geopolitical tensions not to be overlooked This South Korean industrial rise is unfolding in a regional context where tensions with **North Korea** remain a daily reality, and where the strategic balance with **China** remains delicate. These regional factors will continue to shape the country's military production priorities, potentially at the expense of certain export capacity should local tensions intensify. Despite these challenges, the current trajectory demonstrates a remarkable adaptive capacity within the South Korean industry, able to simultaneously meet its national defense needs and growing international demand, a balance few nations manage to maintain so effectively. *Seoul managing to balance its own security against Pyongyang while becoming Europe's armorer amounts to nearly a strategic tour de force, and that tour de force deserves to be loudly applauded.* ## The role of advanced technology in this success ### Integrating next-generation systems Beyond conventional platforms like tanks and artillery, the South Korean industry is investing heavily in next-generation systems, including domestically designed **KF-21 fighter jets** and advanced missile defense technologies. This technological upgrade allows **South Korea** to directly compete with established Western manufacturers in higher-value-added segments. This ability to produce high-tech equipment, not just conventional platforms, strengthens the long-term credibility of the South Korean industry as a first-rank strategic partner for decades to come. ### Sustained investment in research and development South Korea's four major defense groups are reinvesting a significant share of their record profits into research and development, seeking to maintain their technological edge against increasingly fierce international competition. This ongoing investment strategy sets the South Korean approach apart from that of some competitors who prioritize short-term profits. This long-term vision, combined with already considerable profits, positions the South Korean industry favorably to keep innovating and maintaining its competitiveness in the global arms market for years to come. *Reinvesting record profits into innovation rather than dividends alone is the mark of an industry thinking in decades rather than quarters — a lesson some Western conglomerates might do well to ponder.* ## The impact on bilateral diplomatic relations ### Strengthened ties with European countries Every major arms contract is generally accompanied by a broader strengthening of diplomatic and economic relations between **South Korea** and the buying country. Ties between **Seoul** and **Warsaw**, for example, have deepened considerably since the historic arms deal was signed, now extending to areas of cooperation well beyond the military sector alone. This dynamic illustrates how defense partnerships can serve as a catalyst for broader bilateral relations, creating lasting bridges between geographically distant but strategically aligned nations facing the same global threats. ### Growing international recognition This industrial rise also gives **South Korea** increased diplomatic weight on the international stage, strengthening its ability to influence multilateral forums devoted to collective security. This enhanced status could, over time, allow **Seoul** to play an even more active role in strategic coordination between allied democracies of the **Pacific** and the **Atlantic**. This growing recognition, however, comes with increased responsibilities, notably that of maintaining high standards of transparency and compliance in its arms export contracts, a challenge the country will need to continue meeting rigorously. *The diplomatic weight that comes with this industrial success is as much a responsibility as it is a privilege — South Korea will now have to embrace the role of an engaged middle power on the world stage.* ## Conclusion: thank you for this contribution to collective security ### A partnership worth celebrating Dear **South Korean government**, this letter is above all meant as a sincere thank you. In a world where **Western deterrence** has long suffered from an industrial capacity shortfall, your country managed to fill a critical part of that void, at the exact moment **Europe** and its allies needed it most, facing an aggressive **Russia** and an increasingly unstable geopolitical landscape. Your rise to become the world's fourth-largest arms exporter is not just a Korean commercial success: it is a tangible strengthening of the collective capacity of allied democracies to defend the rules-based international order against the revisionist ambitions of **Russia**, **China**, **Iran**, and **North Korea**. ### Hope for the future of broader Western cooperation May this collaboration continue to deepen in the years ahead, as the **West** and its **Pacific** partners together face an increasingly complex strategic environment. **South Korea's** trajectory shows that it is possible, in just a few years, to turn a national industrial capacity into a genuine pillar of international collective security. Thank you, then, to those in **Seoul**, in the factories of **Hanwha**, **Hyundai Rotem**, **KAI**, and **LIG Nex1**, who work every day to build the equipment that concretely strengthens the **West's** ability to deter those who would challenge international peace and stability. *In a world more dangerous than it has been in decades, every reliable ally counts double — and South Korea has just proven, with the numbers to back it up, that it is one.* **By Maxime Marquette, columnist** ## Columnist's transparency note ### Editorial stance I am not a journalist but a **columnist and analyst**. My expertise lies in observing and analysing the geopolitical, economic and strategic dynamics that shape our world. My work is to take political strategies apart, to understand global economic movements, to put the decisions of international actors in context and to offer analytical perspectives on the changes that are redefining our societies. I do not claim the cold objectivity of traditional journalism, which stops at reporting facts. **I claim analytical clarity**, rigorous interpretation and a deep understanding of the complex issues that concern us all. My role is to give meaning to the facts, to place them in their historical and strategic context, and to offer a critical reading of events. ### Method and sources This text keeps the basic distinction between **verified facts and interpretive analysis**. The rule never changes: a factual claim is published only when a verifiable source supports it, and the sources this article actually used are listed under **Sources**, never here. **Primary source families** used by the publication, when the story has them: official statements from governments and international institutions, public statements by political leaders, reports from intergovernmental organisations, dispatches from recognised international news agencies. **Secondary source families**: specialised publications, internationally recognised news media, analyses from established research institutions, reports from industry organisations. When an article cites statistical, economic or geopolitical data, it comes from the institutions that produce it (intergovernmental organisations, central banks, national statistics offices), and the exact institution is named under **Sources**. ### Nature of the analysis The analyses, interpretations and perspectives in the analytical sections of this article are a **critical, contextual synthesis** based on the information available, the trends observed and the expert comments cited in the sources consulted. My role is to interpret these facts, to set them in the context of today's geopolitical and economic dynamics, and to give them a coherent meaning within the larger story of the changes shaping our time. These analyses reflect expertise built through continuous observation of international affairs and an understanding of the strategic mechanisms that drive global actors. This article describes a documented state of affairs on its publication date, not a prediction: later developments may shift its outlook. No update is promised in advance; when an article is corrected or completed, the change is dated in the text. ## Sources ### Primary sources - [Hankyoreh — South Korea becomes the world's 4th-largest arms exporter, April 2026](https://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/1254201.html) - [CHOSUNBIZ — profits at the four major defense groups surge, June 24, 2026](https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-industry/2026/06/24/KD5LYX2Y2FGMPNSX7RJENVSJUA/) - [Seoul Economic Daily — K-Defense eyes 20 billion dollars in exports, April 7, 2026](https://en.sedaily.com/finance/2026/04/07/k-defense-eyes-20-billion-in-exports-with-united-push-into) ### Secondary sources - [CHOSUNBIZ — further analysis of the South Korean defense industry, May 2026](https://biz.chosun.com/en/en-industry/2026/05/26/CGYYRISNLJF6ZIUOMKMX2SR4BU/) - [FOI — report on the South Korean defense industry](https://www.foi.se/en/foi/reports/report-summary.html?reportNo=FOI-R--5815--SE) - [Institute for Security and Development Policy — South Korea, 2nd-largest supplier of arms to European NATO](https://www.isdp.eu/publication/the-rise-of-south-koreas-defense-industry-and-europe%E2%80%91korea-industrial-defense-cooperation-an-interview-with-lt-gen-ret-chun-in-bum/) --- Source: Maxime Marquette, MadMax. When citing, name the author and link https://mad-max.co/en/article/merci-seoul-le-k-defense-sauve-la-dissuasion-occidentale