Korea’s defense industry advances beyond old stigma

Fifteen years ago, I had a revealing conversation with a taxi driver on the way to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. When I mentioned the potential of South Korea’s defense industry, he responded angrily: “Those people only commit corruption.” I tried to answer calmly, saying every sector has its flaws but that the positive aspects should be developed. His frustration only deepened. To him, the words “defense industry” brought nothing but resentment, likely shaped by the corruption scandals of the time or perhaps by personal experience.

Today, the industry is one of South Korea’s few economic bright spots. Once dismissed, it is now viewed as a key growth engine. Yet few acknowledge the intense criticism and structural barriers the sector once had to overcome.

Criticism of corruption was justified, and reforms have followed. But the negativity extended beyond wrongdoing. I remember the self-deprecating remarks and conspiracy theories that surrounded even South Korea’s earliest attempts to produce rifles and helmets. Those doubts were real, and hearing the stories of developers makes the industry’s current achievements seem all the more remarkable.

It is easy to praise success after the fact. But true progress requires reflection. For South Korea’s defense industry to reach greater heights, it must confront the prejudices and missteps of its past with honesty.