South Korea Finalizes 2026 Defense Budget at KRW 65.8642 Trillion — Largest Increase Since 2020

The newly approved budget places strategic emphasis on conditions-based wartime operational control (OPCON) transition, improvement of service conditions for troops, and accelerated modernization through AI, drones, and advanced defense technologies. Funding for the Korean Three-Axis System—Kill Chain, KAMD, and KMPR—will rise by more than 20%, while several long-standing demands related to troops’ welfare have also been address...

Hanwha Aerospace Secures KRW 387.7B Deal for Second “Chungeom” Missile Production

Combined with the first production contract worth KRW 162.3 billion signed last year, the total production program now amounts to KRW 387.7 billion. Hanwha Aerospace will deliver the Chungeom missile system—including missiles and launchers—to the military through 2028. Additional orders are expected, as DAPA is also considering integrating Chungeom onto the ROK Marine Corps’ ongoing Marine Attack Helicopter program.Chungeom is t...

ROKS Jeongjo the Great Aegis Destroyer Fully Operational and Now on Active Duty

Launched in July 2022 and commissioned in December 2023, Jeongjo the Great is the first vessel of the KDX-III Batch-II (Jeongjo the Great-class) Aegis destroyer program, designed to significantly bolster Korea’s ballistic-missile defense and maritime combat capabilities. After a year of combat-readiness evaluation and operational integration, the ship has achieved full mission-capable status.During its force integration period, the destroye...

South Korea Launches Indigenous 5th–6th Generation Fighter Engine Program

From KF-21 to 6th Generation: Long-Term Planning BeginsThis push traces back to 2021, when the ROK military completed a research project outlining potential 5th- and even 6th-generation development paths based on the KF-21 Boramae. Although officially categorized as a 4.5-generation platform, the KF-21 incorporates a low-observable airframe design, advanced sensors, and avionics that allow future upgrades to true 5th-generation performance. Durin...

ROKN Kicks Off P-3C Replacement Program — Indigenous MPA Emerges as the Most Realistic Path

ROKN currently fields 21 MPAs—15 P-3C series airframes and six P-8A Poseidons but the May crash of a P-3CK and the increasing difficulty of sustaining 30-year-old airframes have sharply accelerated planning for a successor. At ADEX 2025, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) publicly showcased its first indigenous MPA concept based on the Bombardier Global 6500, signaling a potential shift toward domestic development.The Pohang P-3CK Crash&mdash...

KF-21 Advances Toward Multirole Dominance as New Indigenous Weapons Debut at ADEX 2025

KF-21 Moves Beyond Air Superiority Toward True Multirole CapabilityIn August, South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced that the timeline for integrating air-to-ground weapons onto the KF-21 would be advanced from late 2028 to the first half of 2027. This accelerated schedule aims to secure early combat value—both in wartime and peacetime—by rearranging test and certification processes. The KF-21 ...

K-SSN Breakthrough: Reactor Design Emerges as the Decisive Factor

This marks the first time the formerly classified program has surfaced as an open national project. Government momentum is accelerating. During the 48th Cabinet Meeting, Defense Ministry official Won Jong-dae confirmed that, pending final consultations with Washington, fuel acquisition is feasible and construction could begin in the late 2020s—setting the stage for the first hull launch in the mid-to-late 2030s.Domestic Industrial Base: Mos...

Hyundai Rotem Breaks $700 Million Operating Profit Barrier on Defense, Rail Boom

The Hyundai Rotem said its full-year operating profit rose 120.3% year on year to $697 million, marking the highest level since its establishment. Revenue climbed 33.4% to $4.07 billion, while net profit surged 90.1% to $538 million, according to a regulatory filing.This represents the first time Hyundai Rotem has exceeded the symbolic $700 million operating profit threshold, underscoring its rapid earnings expansion amid heightened global demand...

South Korea Launches Block-I Electronic Warfare Aircraft Program, Targeting 2034 Deployment

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) convened the program’s launch meeting on Tuesday at LIG Nex1’s Pangyo headquarters, bringing together representatives from the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Air Force, the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), and the Defense Agency for Technology and Quality. The meeting shared domain-specific development plans and marked the official start of full-scale system development for Block-...

ROK JCS Moves to Unmanned Frontline as Troop Shortages Loom

According to military sources cited Thursday, the ROK JCS has initiated a formal review of plans to introduce an unmanned Guard Post (GP) surveillance and security operations system in the early 2030s. The move is designed to offset the so-called “troop cliff” caused by South Korea’s rapidly declining birthrate.The review concluded that few modern militaries continue to rely on large standing forces for constant border guard dut...