South Korean soldiers prepare to launch the Cheongung-II surface-to-air missile during a drill, Nov. 6, 2024. Courtesy of Joint Chiefs of Staff
South Korea’s presidential chief of staff Kang Hoon-sik said this week that Seoul hassecured priority crude oil and naphtha suppliesfrom Gulf producers through the end of the year, a development that highlights a growing constraint on the country’s defense export ambitions as rising demand from the same partners collides with limits in industrial capacity and domestic military requirements.
Requests from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to accelerate deliveries of South Korean air defense systems are emerging at a time of heightened regional demand following sustained exchanges with Iran.
On April 12, The Wall Street Journal reported that Riyadh had approached firms including Hanwha Aerospace and LIG Defense & Aerospace (D&A) about expediting deliveries for Cheongung-II medium range surface-to-air missiles, while Abu Dhabi sought additional interceptor missile supplies.
The urgency reflects the depletion of air defense inventories across parts of the Gulf after weeks of retaliatory strikes. Systems that are already in production and have demonstrated operational effectiveness are drawing particular interest, placing South Korean suppliers in a position to respond to near-term demand.
South Korea’s defense exports to the Middle East have expanded steadily in recent years, with the UAE accounting for 9.5 percent of shipments between 2021 and 2025, according to SIPRI data. Saudi Arabia has also emerged as a major buyer, including a $3.2 billion contract signed in Feb. 2024 for 10 Cheongung-II batteries.
This concentration among a small number of high-value clients increases pressure to respond quickly to delivery requests during periods of elevated threat.
LIG Defense & Aerospace’s booth at the WDS 2026 / Courtesy of LIG Defense & Aerospace
The main constraint South Korean defense firms face is the ability to produce at speed.
LIG D&A and its partners, including Hanwha Systems and Hanwha Aerospace, are expanding production facilities in Gimcheon and Gumi, with a new guided-weapons research and manufacturing site scheduled for completion in September.
Source: Korea Times News
