South Korea accelerates AI Push in next-generation weapons programs

South Korea is accelerating its adoption of artificial intelligence in national defense, signaling a decisive turn toward algorithm-driven warfare as its battlefield technologies evolve and as its population shrinks. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration, which oversees the country’s arms procurement, has reorganized one of its key semi-autonomous units to take the lead in shaping artificial intelligence policy and strategy for next-generation weapon systems, officials said Monday. The

Korea eyes $30b in defense exports via ADEX as global buyers flock

GOYANG, Gyeonggi Province -- At Kintex Exhibition Center II in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on Tuesday, long lines of visitors streamed into the exhibition halls where large logos of South Korea’s leading defense firms came into view. Nearly half of the attendees were foreign buyers and participants, underscoring the growing global interest in Korea’s defense industry. At the exhibitions of Hanwha Group, LIG Nex1, Hyundai Rotem and Korea Aerospace Industries, massive screens played dramatic videos

From tanks to submarines: South Korea deepens defense footprint in Poland

KIELCE, Poland -- South Korean defense companies are accelerating their push into Poland’s expanding arms market, with new deals and ambitious bids unveiled at the annual International Defense Industry Exhibition, known as MSPO. Twenty-seven South Korean defense companies showcased their products in Poland last week, from Sept. 2 to Friday, leveraging a quickly deepening strategic partnership between Seoul and Warsaw to solidify their presence in Europe. The exhibition underscored that for Warsa

Hanwha Aerospace, WB Group form joint venture to produce Chunmoo rockets in Poland

KIELCE, Poland — As South Korea and Poland deepen their security ties, Hanwha Aerospace and Polish defense company WB Group have struck a landmark deal to create a joint venture that will localize production of guided missiles for the Chunmoo rocket system. The deal, signed Tuesday on the opening day of the International Defense Industry Exhibition, known as MSPO, in Kielce, 180 kilometers south of Warsaw, creates a company owned 51 percent by Hanwha and 49 percent by WB Group. The company will

South Korea's ‘Iron Dome’: Could it fend off full-fledged North Korean assault?

Israel’s air defense system, represented by the much-heralded Iron Dome, intercepted the vast majority of missiles fired from Iran during an exchange of fire in June. Despite waves of ballistic missiles and drones that partly penetrated Israel’s multilayered defenses, the assault resulted in relatively few casualties, according to Israeli officials. The episode has sharpened debate in South Korea, which remains technically at war with North Korea, about whether its own air defense system could w

From ashes of war to arsenal of world: South Korea’s defense industry boom

It was 72 years ago that the bloody 1950-53 Korean War ended with an armistice. Today, the once-war-ravaged nation stands among the world’s leading arms exporters, its factories turning out advanced tanks, artillery systems and fighter jets destined for battlefields far beyond the Korean Peninsula. South Korea’s arms industry is riding a wave of global demand, but the current geopolitical climate brings both opportunity and risk. Its weapons are in high demand for their advanced technology and f