South Korea Joins the World’s Top 10 Arms-Exporting Nations

South Korea has ranked ninth among the world’s largest arms exporters, capturing approximately 3% of the global arms market.

According to Politico, South Korea is now the second-largest supplier of weapons to NATO countries in Europe, behind only the United States.

Politico attributes this growth to the country’s aggressive export expansion and strong global demand for South Korean military equipment, particularly artillery systems, armored vehicles, and missile systems.

South Korea’s leading defense manufacturers – Hanwha Group, Hyundai Rotem, LIG Nex1, and Korea Aerospace Industries – are experiencing rapid revenue growth. Their combined revenue is projected to reach approximately $37 billion in 2026.

The projected revenue is four times that of 2021. South Korean defense manufacturers are rapidly expanding their footprint across Europe as NATO members accelerate military modernization and rearmament programs.

The surge in exports is also supported by Seoul’s strategic policy of developing the defense industry as a key pillar of the national economy.

Meanwhile, South Korea is expanding defense cooperation with the United States, further strengthening its position in the global arms market.

According to SIPRI data for 2021–2025, South Korea has reinforced its standing as one of the world’s leading arms exporters. Its share of global arms exports increased from 2.6% in 2016–2020 to 3.0% in 2021–2025, while the total volume of its arms exports grew by 24% compared with the previous five-year period.

Poland was by far South Korea’s largest defense customer, accounting for 58% of the country’s total arms exports. Other key buyers included the Philippines, which accounted for 18% of South Korea’s arms exports and sourced 42% of its total arms imports from South Korea, and the United Arab Emirates, which accounted for 9.5% of South Korea’s arms exports.

South Korea has also become the second-largest supplier of arms to NATO members in Europe, behind only the United States. It supplied 8.6% of the bloc’s total arms imports, including nearly half (47%) of Poland’s imported weaponry.

Despite its growing role as an exporter, South Korea ranked 16th among the world’s largest arms importers. However, the country is increasingly relying on its own defense industry to equip its military, leading to a 54% decline in arms imports compared with the 2016–2020 period.

Despite this, the country remains heavily dependent on the United States, which accounts for 93% of its imports. Other suppliers include the United Kingdom (3.5%) and Israel (1.8%).

As previously reported, during 2021–2025, Germany ranked fourth among the world’s largest arms exporters, surpassing China.