Climbing the Export Ladder : Government Support for Korean Defense Exports and the Path to Becoming a Big Four Exporter

Korean defense exports have grown at a higher rate than anywhere else in the world in the five year period from 2017 to 2021, exploding by 177 percent and positioning Korea as the world’s eighth-largest defense exporter. Moreover, if after final accounting Korean defense exports came to more than USD 17 billion in 2022, Korea would in fact be the world’s fourth-largest arms exporter, surpassing the UK, Italy, China, and Germany.This paper analyzes recent defense market trends and prospects, compares and analyzes the Korean defense export support system with those in place in major defense exporters such as the United States, France, and Israel, and identifies a path by which Korea can become one of the so-called "Big Four" major global arms exporters