From Zero to Hero: How South Korea Became a Top Arms Exporter

President Lee Jae Myung on Tuesday called for Cabinet members to develop and review plans for establishing a new control tower to strengthen the country’s defense industry.

During a morning Cabinet meeting, Lee stated, “The defense industry is not only a new growth engine for our economy but also a crucial foundation for our national defense capabilities.”

“I urge relevant Cabinet members to consider creating a new control tower to foster the growth of our defense industry,” Lee added. “We must also coordinate government-wide efforts to nurture talent, increase R&D investments, and expand international export channels.”

Lee also instructed Cabinet members to hold regular meetings to evaluate arms export strategies. As per his campaign promises, Lee himself would chair these sessions.

The President highlighted the recent success in arms exports, particularly referencing the defense deal with Poland for South Korean-produced K2 tanks. This agreement is estimated to be worth around 8.8 trillion KRW (6.46 billion USD).

“During the Korean War of 1950-53, South Korea didn’t have a single domestically produced tank,” Lee noted. “In just 75 years, we’ve transformed into one of the world’s top 10 arms exporters. Our recent deal with Poland, worth approximately 9 trillion KRW (6.75 billion USD) for K2 tanks, exemplifies this remarkable progress.”