China’s Military Tech Boom: What It Means for South Korea’s Arms Strategy

As China accelerates the integration of artificial intelligence, drones and robotics into its military systems, South Korea must rethink its arms export strategy to maintain global competitiveness, a state-run think tank said Wednesday.

The Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade (KIET) released a report titled “China’s Defense Industry: Status and Implications,” highlighting Beijing’s significant investment in unmanned and intelligent warfare capabilities, despite domestic economic challenges.

China’s 2024 defense budget has surged 7.2 percent to 1.78 trillion yuan (248 billion USD), underscoring the nation’s strategic priorities. Once focused on domestic needs, China’s defense sector is now aggressively expanding its global market presence, fueled by technological innovation and robust state support.

According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, China captured 5.9 percent of global arms exports from 2020 to 2024, ranking fourth behind the United States, France, and Russia. South Korea, in comparison, held the 10th position with a 2.2 percent share.

China’s rising influence stems from its push for advanced, next-generation weapons systems. Six Chinese firms now rank among SIPRI’s top 20 global defense companies. State-owned giants like Aviation Industry Corporation of China, Norinco, China Electronics Technology Corporation, and China State Shipbuilding Corporation have recently unveiled AI-powered combat robots, drone swarms, and unmanned naval vessels.

KIET pointed to China’s “Robot Wolf” – an autonomous combat robot leveraging civilian AI technology from Zhensin Technology – as a prime example of military-civil fusion. The export of such cutting-edge systems to nations like Pakistan, Thailand, and Algeria demonstrates China’s emergence as a major supplier of advanced weaponry.

Despite South Korea’s globally competitive civilian AI, drone, and robotics technologies, the report warned that mechanisms to adapt these innovations for military applications remain underdeveloped.

“There is an urgent need to establish structural mechanisms that link civilian technologies to actual weapons systems through civil-military cooperation programs, rapid acquisition projects, and broader policy support for the defense industry ecosystem,” the report concluded.