The combined market value of South Korea's four leading defense contractors dropped from 170 trillion won to roughly 62 trillion won by late October. Poor corporate earnings fueled the sharp retreat, exemplified by a 46% decline in Hanwha Aerospace's third-quarter operating profit. Despite these headwinds, traditional land systems remain essential for holding ground, and companies continue to win lucrative overseas procurement awards. Looking forward, these manufacturers are actively channeling resources into unmanned and counter-drone systems to meet shifting battlefield demands.
Key points
Defense companies face emerging technological competition from dominant Chinese pricing a…: Defense companies face emerging technological competition from dominant Chinese pricing and low-cost drone warfare used in Ukraine and the Middle East.
International demand for traditional heavy arms remains healthy, underscored by Hanwha Ae…: International demand for traditional heavy arms remains healthy, underscored by Hanwha Aerospace securing major equipment orders from Spain and Norway.
Domestic manufacturers are investing heavily in unmanned systems to complement their conv…: Domestic manufacturers are investing heavily in unmanned systems to complement their conventional weapons and capture evolving military budgets.
Sources checked by our analysis pipeline: 1
South Korean defense stocks rode a wave of global rearmament over the past two years.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine accelerated military spending across Europe. South Korean companies drew buyers with weapons that were competitively priced and could be delivered relatively quickly, including tanks, artillery and missile systems.
But that rally has given way to a sharp sell-off, with shares of several major South Korean defense companies plunging this year.
The combined market value of the top four Korean defense companies — Hanwha Aerospace, LIG D&A, Hyundai Rotem, and Korea Aerospace — had plunged to about 62 trillion won ($46.18 billion) as of end-October from their 52-week peak of 170 trillion won, according to South Korean broadcaster SBS.
Are South Korean companies, known for exporting tanks and artillery systems, well-placed for a modern battlefield that has seen drones and counter-drone systems proliferate in Ukraine and Iran?
The war in Ukraine has shown how relatively inexpensive drones can threaten expensive military equipment, and drone strikes from Iran have depleted stocks of costly air defense missiles of the U.S. and its Gulf allies.
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