South Korea's military might: A deep dive into its arsenal

The claims that South Korea is one of the world's largest military powers are well-founded. Seoul maintains constant readiness to defend its territories against potential aggression from the north. According to the Global Firepower ranking, South Korea has the fifth most powerful army in the world, owing not only to a large number of troops (over 600,000 soldiers) but also to its equipment.

A significant portion of South Korea's army equipment, especially ammunition, armoured vehicles, and artillery systems, is produced by its own defence factories. Some of this equipment, such as K2 tanks and K9 Thunder howitzers, has gained recognition in recent years due to the boom in South Korean exports.

K2 tanks are a flagship example of the capabilities of South Korea's defence industry and are the most modern machines in the local army. Designed in the 21st century, this equipment has a 120-mm smoothbore gun and an automatic loading system. It operates alongside the older K1 tank, also South Korean, developed in the 1980s, which makes up the bulk of the inventory of over 2,500 tanks in South Korea's possession.

South Korea's most modern infantry fighting vehicle, produced since 2009, is the K21, which employs fibreglass components, reducing the vehicle's weight and allowing for higher speeds.

Owing to the geographical conditions of the Korean Peninsula, the South Korean army has a large number of various mortars and howitzers, highly useful during combat in the mountainous areas covering a significant portion of the country.

An example of such a weapon is the KH179 towed howitzer, which uses 155-mm calibre shells. Additionally, Seoul holds large reserves of 105-mm calibre artillery and has over 1,000 self-propelled artillery systems, including the latest K9 Thunder 155-mm calibre systems.

The South Korean Air Force presents a more "international" image, with many modern and highly regarded aircraft worldwide.

This includes primarily the American F-35 and F-16, as well as the F-15K Slam Eagle. South Korea also relies on American equipment (including the Boeing 737 AEW&C and Lockheed C-130 Hercules) in transport and reconnaissance aviation. Domestic industry products include the KAI T-50 Golden Eagle.

The strength of the South Korean army also lies in its vast reserves of 105-mm and 155-mm calibre artillery ammunition, which, as shown by the war in Ukraine, remains invaluable.

In defence factories across South Korea, not only are basic 155-mm calibre artillery shells containing around 6.5 kilograms of TNT with a range of nearly 30 kilometres produced, but also more advanced shells equipped with cluster warheads and shells with gas generators, providing greater range.

South Korea is also capable of producing ballistic and cruise missiles from the Hyunmoo family. Notably, the Hyunmoo-3 is a cruise missile capable of reaching speeds up to Mach 1.2 and striking targets as far as 3,000 kilometres away. All such missiles are designed to carry conventional warheads.

Among the military equipment used by South Korea, a diminishing percentage consists of weapons supplied through trade deals with Russia. These included anti-tank guided missiles, as well as dozens of BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles and T-80 tanks.

The significance of Soviet-era equipment in South Korea has dwindled so much so that recently BMP-3 vehicles and T-80 tanks began to be used in exercises as targets for kamikaze drones.

Conversely, South Korea is consistently expanding its naval fleet, with over 20 submarines confirmed in early 2024, and is exploring new battlefield trends. This is evidenced by a growing interest in drones. In September, Korean media reported interest in purchasing around 200 Warmate drones from Poland, which have proven effective in the war in Ukraine.