How the defense industry helps support South Korea’s foreign policy goals



Analysis How the defense industry helps support South Korea’s foreign policy goals Arms sales may help Seoul align with like-minded democracies but could invite pushback from powerful neighbors Chris H. ParkMarch 29, 2023 SHARE COPY LINK FACEBOOK X LINKEDIN MASTODON ROK Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup meets with Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak to deliver K9 howitzers, Feb. 24, 2023 \| Image: Facebook Arms sales mark the latest example of South Korean defense diplomacy, allowing it to form closer relations with countries that share its values. For example, defense minister Lee Jong-sup met with his Vietnamese counterpart, Phan Van Giang, on March 28 and discussed bilateral defense industrial cooperation and naval consultations. Lee invited Phan to the South Korean defense trade show this October. This visit echoes Lee’s trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Poland last month, which centered around arms exports. Considering recent trends, it is no surprise that the Yoon administration actively promotes defense exports. In 2022, South Korean © Korea Risk Group. All rights reserved. No part of this content may be reproduced, distributed, or used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from Korea Risk Group. LATEST ANALYSIS 01South Korea bank hacks expose weak links beyond core financial systems 02Lee-Zelensky feud exposes South Korea’s widening Ukraine policy dilemma 03Lee Jae Myung’s ‘pacemaker’ strategy tests South Korea’s leverage with Trump 04Trump’s Korea investment victory lap masks safeguards Seoul still controls 05North Korean POW dispute tests Seoul-Kyiv trust and future Ukraine policy 06South Korea’s CPTPP push exposes the cost of turning trade gains into consensus 07AI storage boom gives South Korea battery makers an EV overcapacity lifeline 08South Korea’s Mexico strategy runs into the hard limits of USMCA politics

Analysis

How the defense industry helps support South Korea’s foreign policy goals

Arms sales may help Seoul align with like-minded democracies but could invite pushback from powerful neighbors

Chris H. ParkMarch 29, 2023

How the defense industry helps support South Korea’s foreign policy goals

ROK Defense Minister Lee Jong-sup meets with Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak to deliver K9 howitzers, Feb. 24, 2023 | Image: Facebook

Arms sales mark the latest example of South Korean defense diplomacy, allowing it to form closer relations with countries that share its values.

For example, defense minister Lee Jong-sup met with his Vietnamese counterpart, Phan Van Giang, on March 28 and discussed bilateral defense industrial cooperation and naval consultations. Lee invited Phan to the South Korean defense trade show this October.

This visit echoes Lee’s trip to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Poland last month, which centered around arms exports.

Considering recent trends, it is no surprise that the Yoon administration actively promotes defense exports. In 2022, South Korean

How the defense industry helps support South Korea’s foreign policy goals

LATEST ANALYSIS

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Chris H. Park