Martial law in South Korea: Spotlight on military might

The claims that South Korea is one of the world's largest military powers are well-founded. Seoul maintains a constant state of readiness to defend its territories from a potential attack from the north. According to the Global Firepower ranking, South Korea has the fifth most powerful army in the world, thanks not only to its sizable number of troops (over 600,000 soldiers) but primarily to its advanced equipment.

A significant portion of the South Korean army's equipment comes from its own defense factories, mainly involving ammunition, armored vehicles, and artillery systems. Some of this equipment, such as K2 tanks and K9 Thunder howitzers, has become more recognizable in recent years due to the boom in South Korean exports.

K2 tanks are a flagship example of the capabilities of the South Korean defense industry and are the most modern such machines in the local army. Designed in the 21st century, this equipment is armed with a 120-mm smoothbore gun and features an automatic loading system. It remains in operation alongside the older, also South Korean, K1 tank developed in the 1980s, which constitutes the majority of the inventory of over 2,500 tanks in South Korea's possession.

The most modern of South Korea's infantry fighting vehicles, produced since 2009, is the K21, which employs fiberglass components to reduce the vehicle's weight and allow for higher speeds.

Due to the geographical conditions of the Korean Peninsula, the South Korean army has a large number of various mortars and howitzers, which are extremely useful during combat in the mountains that cover a significant portion of the country.

An example of such a weapon is the KH179 towed howitzer, which uses 155-mm caliber shells. Additionally, Seoul maintains large reserves of 105-mm caliber artillery and has over 1,000 self-propelled artillery systems, including the latest K9 Thunder 155-mm caliber systems.

The South Korean air force presents a more "international" image. It includes many modern and highly regarded aircraft worldwide.

This mainly includes the American F-35 and F-16, as well as the F-15K Slam Eagle. In terms of transport and reconnaissance aviation, South Korea also relies on American equipment, including the Boeing 737 AEW&C and Lockheed C-130 Hercules. Products of the domestic industry include the KAI T-50 Golden Eagle.

The strength of the South Korean army also lies in its enormous reserves of 105-mm and 155-mm caliber artillery ammunition, which, as demonstrated by the war in Ukraine, remains invaluable.

In defense factories across South Korea, not only basic 155-mm caliber artillery shells containing 14.5 pounds of TNT with a range of about 19 miles are produced, but also more advanced shells equipped with cluster warheads and shells with gas generators for greater range.

South Korea is also capable of producing ballistic and cruise missiles from the Hyunmoo family. A noteworthy mention is the Hyunmoo-3, a cruise missile capable of reaching speeds up to Mach 1.2 and striking targets as far as 1,860 miles away. All such missiles are designed to carry conventional warheads.

Among the military equipment used by South Korea, an increasingly smaller percentage consists of weapons supplied through trade deals with Russia. These included anti-tank guided missiles, as well as dozens of BMP-3 infantry fighting vehicles and T-80 tanks.

The significance of Soviet-era equipment in South Korea is so minimal that recently BMP-3 vehicles and T-80 tanks began to be used in exercises as targets for kamikaze drones.

On the other hand, South Korea is systematically developing its fleet (as confirmed in early 2024; it already has over 20 submarines) and is exploring new battlefield trends.