SEOUL, Jan. 22 (Yonhap) — South Korea’s defense technologies were assessed to be the world’s eighth most advanced as of last year, moving up one notch from the previous review, a triennial government report showed Wednesday.
In comparison to the United States, which topped the list of 16 nations, the level of South Korea’s defense technologies was assessed to stand at around 82 percent of that of the U.S., according to the report by the Korea Research Institute for Defense Technology Planning and Advancement (KRIT).
France and Russia tied in second place, followed by Germany, Britain, China and Israel. South Korea and Japan placed together in eighth, trailed by Italy, India and Spain.
The report attributed South Korea’s ascent to its solid artillery systems, known for the K9 self-propelled howitzer, and maneuvering weapons systems, such as the K2 tank.
South Korea also made significant advancements in areas like defense software and unmanned drones, the report showed.
KRIT has published the report since 2008 to evaluate South Korea’s comparative strengths and weaknesses in defense technology development.
Some 400 experts took part in surveys and group discussions to assess defense technology development in 10 areas, including artillery, submarines, command control and cyber weapons.
This image, provided by the Korea Research Institute for Defense Technology Planning and Advancement on Jan. 22, 2025, shows the front cover of a triennial report that ranks global defense technology development. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
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