The Korean Odyssey

  *A K2 Black Panther, the pride of Korea, practicing shooting. @iStock   Il Young Jeong Research Professor_Institute of Social Sciences_Sogang University Expectations for the K-defense industry have been rising recently. In July, 2022, the Korean government signed an export contract worth about $12.4 billion with Poland including K2 Black Panther tanks, K9 Thunder howitzers, FA-50 aircraft, and K239 Chunmoo rocket artillery systems. This contract alone amounted to more than Korea’s total defense industry exports in 2021. The K-defense industry has continued to gather praise both domestically and overseas. In addition to looking at expectations the K-defense industry’s future growth, this article will ask the uncomfortable question that need to be addressed when we think about the future of the industry.   The Opportunities presented by the Age of Peace for K-Defense Since the Korean War, Korea has been striving to realize its dream of ‘independent national defens...