A robust defense industry producing cutting-edge technologies has made South Korea a strong player on the world stage, accounting for 2.2% of global arms exports between 2020 and 2024, ranking it 10th. According to estimates by the Korea Defense Industry Association (KDIA), the local defense technology market reached a value of USD 14.54 billion in 2023, an increase of 20% over the previous year. Despite this strong position, opportunities are opening up for foreign partners, particularly in the supply of firearms and radar systems, as well as cooperation with the Korean side on the joint development of new technologies, foreign cooperation in third markets, and the involvement of Czech companies as subcontractors. Opportunities for Czech exporters also exist in the provision of equipment and gear for security and rescue services.

The second meeting of the Joint Commission for Cooperation in Military Industry and Logistics at the level of Radka Konderlová, Director General of the Ministry of Defense of the Czech Republic, and Tae Kon KIM, Director General of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) Tae Kon KIM, confirmed the interest of both parties in seeking opportunities for cooperation in the military industry and the expectation of localisation of production and technology transfer in the case of purchases. Mobility, jet engines, electronic warfare, air defence, ammunition and small arms were identified as the most promising areas of cooperation.

A delegation from the Czech Ministry of Defense, led by Radka Konderlová, Director General of the Industrial Cooperation Section, was accompanied to Seoul by representatives of five major Czech companies under the umbrella of the Czech Defense and Security Industry Association as part of an economic diplomacy project. With the aim of providing our companies with as many opportunities as possible to find synergies with their South Korean counterparts, the Czech Embassy arranged meetings with major associations and companies from the private sector, as well as with representatives of the Korean government in the form of DAPA, as part of a B2B business forum held in Seoul. There were also excursions to important testing and production facilities in this significant industry. 

Further important information on this sector of the Korean market can be found at the links below: 

1. Defense Acquisition Program Administration: https://www.dapa.go.kr/dapa_en/main.do 

2. Korea Defense Industry Association:  https://defense-korea.com/web/etc/kdia 

3. Databáze korejských obranných zakázek: https://www.d2b.go.kr/index.do *

*You must click on the "Foreign Purchase" page at the bottom right.

Interested Czech companies can contact the Commercial Department of the Czech Embassy in Seoul at: seoul.commerce@mzv.gov.cz. 

Jakub Kopecký, head of the commercial department of the Czech Embassy