The Korean defense market is booming. Until recently, the Korean defense industry served mostly so-called third world countries, especially Southeast Asia. But from the 2010s, things began to change… and from last year, due to the war in Ukraine, South Korea’s defense industry gathered the world’s attention due to that conflict’s “Cold-War” nature. South Korea is now the only country in the western block regularly producing more than 100,000 155mm artillery shells per month (the U.S., today, can produce around 30,000 per month), and can produce more tanks, self-propelled howitzers, and armored vehicles than any other NATO country. Simply speaking, at least in terms of quantity, South Korea has become one of the world’s defense industry powerhouses.

This industrial capability also applies to its small arms production. While South Korea still doesn’t get garner as much export orders as compared to other national defense industries, the South Korean small arms industry has considerable potential in terms of manufacturing capability. SNT Motive, the largest small arms manufacturer in Korea, still maintains production capability of hundreds of thousands of rifles per year. And combined with another South Korean small arms manufacturer, Dasan Machinery, the country can meet the demand for a considerable number of small arms. And with volatility of today’s world, nobody can anticipate when such demand might appear.

So, during this year’s ADEX (Aerospace and Defense Expo), a biannual defense expo in South Korea, there were a record number of foreign delegations and buyers. Most of them were interested in heavier products such as tanks, artillery, and missiles. But small the arms sector also drew many foreign visitors, and many small arms companies were eager to exhibit their latest developments.

SNT MOTIV

The largest display of small arms at the show was from SNT Motiv, as usual. But this year marked a special occasion. They’ve won a major contract from the South Korean Army Special Operation Command to produce its STC-16, the unit’s latest 5.56mm piston carbine. It was selected as the “Special Operations SMG” and officially became the K-13.

While the initial order is small, 1,710 units, there’s another trial underway for 16,000 more spec-ops carbines. Dasan’s DSAR-15PC was originally selected to fulfill this larger order in 2020, but that contract was cancelled in 2021 after the company was caught up in a scandal in which it was found to have gained an unfair advantage in the contract proceedings after gaining access to privileged DAPA (a South Korean defense purchasing agency) documents that bore classified information about the program’s requirements. As a result, Dasan has been sanctioned and has fallen out of favor and the order for those 16,000 carbines is likely to go to SNT Motiv; and since the Korean army is considering changing their entire stock of aging K2/K1 carbines in near future, SNT Motiv may move to the high ground with the award of the special forces contract.

CZUB

Another interesting development is the relationship between SNT Motiv and CZUB. Together, they’re trying to sell the CZ P10M pistol to the South Korean military. The guns will be manufactured in SNT Motiv’s Busan factory. While SNT Motiv tried to make a polymer- framed handgun during the early- to mid-2000s, its attempts failed due to lack of investment and now the company has fallen considerably behind in its effort to keep pace with its peers in this worldwide market trend.

Now, the Korean Army is considering new pistols to replace its aging K5 pistols, and it wants to field a modern, polymer-framed, striker-fired gun. SNT Motiv realizes it can’t do it alone within the budget and time constraints assumed by the Army, so they teamed up with CZUB. While there’s still no official tender for a new service sidearm, it’s highly likely that the special forces would soon begin their sidearm replacement program (they currently use the K5) with the Korean-made P10M(STP-9A) thought to be the strongest contender.

DASAN

Another Korean small arms manufacturer, Dasan, is unlikely to hold a large Korean government contract in near future, so the company seems to be concentrating on the export market. The company showed their previous products, such as the DSAR-15PQ carbine, but it also showed the latest versions of its XR-17 machine gun. They have become somewhat similar to FN’s Minimi/Maximi lineup, since the XR-17 now comes in both 5.56mm and 7.62mm NATO versions. It has a rotating bolt/gas piston operating system, and now also features hand guards not unlike the FN Evolys. The 7.62 NATO version also features a shorter feed cover, which allows the main weapon’s sight to stay in place on the receiver while the weapon is reloaded. The company brochure says both versions weigh 6.3 kg (13.89 lbs.), which we cannot yet confirm.

MACHINE GUN INTEREST

While the South Korean Army is fielding SNT Motiv’s K15 (5.56mm) and K16 (7.62mm) as their next-gen, light and medium machine guns, special forces are searching for new lightweight support weapons lighter than the SNT Motiv-made K15, which weighs in at 7.1 kg (15.65 lbs.). Dasan may submit its XR17, while SNT Motiv would submit its shorter “para” version of the K15, which was also displayed in SNT Motiv’s booth this year.

OTHER EXHIBITORS OF NOTE

Until this year, South Korea had only two military and police small arms manufacturers; SNT Motiv and Dasan Machinery. But now another company is emerging; a manufacturing company called K-Tech opened a booth this year and showed its small arms lineup… Well, they were all guns from Caracal, a United Arab Emirates-based small arms company.

Simply speaking, K-Tech is an off-shore manufacturing base of Caracal. Since UAE’s manufacturing capability still has something to be desired, a considerable amount of Caracal’s CAR 816 Sultan assault rifle orders were also produced by Dasan (and that’s why Dasan displayed the CAR 816 in its booth for a few years). But the Dasan-Caracal partnership ends this year, and K-Tech is taking Dasan’s place. We don’t know what happened between Dasan and Caracal, but K-Tech will begin manufacturing Caracal’s small arms very soon.

Also, Caracal wants to sell small arms to the Korean armed forces as an offset of UAE’s Korean arms imports. The UAE has imported billions of dollars-worth of weapons, such as surface to air missiles and anti-tank missiles, and probably would import more. Naturally, UAE also wants to sell some of its products to Korea, and small arms can be a good offset item. If that happens in a near future, K-Tech would also manufacture those weapons for the Korean armed forces.

There were more than just Korean small arms manufacturers at the show, as the exhibition featured stands from Poland and Colombia. Poland especially showed large range of small arms including their new, polymer-framed, striker-fired handgun, the FB MPS. It’s a typical looking polymer-framed, striker-fired weapon with a chassis-type fire control unit, very much in the same vein as SIG’s P320 or IWI’s Masada.

ADEX ATTENDEE NOTES

Location: ADEX’s traditional home is Seoul’s Seoul Air Base. It’s not a commercial airport, but an ROKAF base, which is also used by the ROK government for VIPs. Also, while the name is Seoul Air Base, it’s not in Seoul; it’s actually in Seongnam City, a suburb of Seoul. So, locals will more easily understand when you reference “Seongnam Airbase.”

Website: seouladex.com

ADEX Organizers Contact: promotion@seouladex.com

Next Show: October 2025

Show Focus This show is especially adapted to SMEs looking for contractors. The main advantage of this expo is that participants receive pre-arranged meetings with business partners—the ideal occasion to identify future commercial partners and to meet buyers.

Dress: business attire

Accommodation: Finding good tourist hotels in Seongnam is not easy, but you can find many good hotels in nearby southern Seoul for around $100 to $150 USD per night. There are less expensive options, but you may have a language barrier at such places. But even cheap hotels are quite safe, so you can leave your bags in your room.

Transportation The best option is taking the subway (line number 8 or Bundang line). Get off the train at Moran (line 8) or Taepyeong (Bundang line) station and take a shuttle bus or taxi to the expo. Your best option is a taxi since it’s not that expensive (no tips required) and it’ll take you close to the gate. You can take a rental car, but visitor parking space is very limited. If you’re an exhibitor or authorized press member, you may be entitled to use on-site parking.

Power & Plug Types 220v AC, with EU-type electricity plugs.

Currency The local currency is the Korean won. The U.S. dollar is not accepted at most places, but you can use most U.S. credit cards widely. Check xe.com for exchange rates.

Country Warnings Violent crime against foreigners is rare. South Korea is one of the safest countries to visit.

Tourism You can visit many interesting places in Seoul. There’s a very large war memorial museum in Seoul, which is worth visiting.

Other Tips Avoid weekends and Friday to visit ADEX. Visitors are heavily concentrated during those three days, especially on Saturday and Sunday (public days).

Formed on 1 November 1992, Dasan Machineries is an important small arms manufacturer in South Korea. It tends to focus on export markets, whilst competitor SNT Motiv concentrates on serving the Republic of Korea (ROK) Armed Forces. However, there is a lot of crossover, since Dasan has regularly subcontracted to SNT Motiv for domestic contracts, plus it is offering complete weapons to the country’s military.

At the Seoul ADEX 2023 exhibition, held from 17-22 October, Dasan Machineries’ focus was on promoting the DSAR-15 family of weapons, these being an evolution of the ubiquitous AR-15 series. Prominent was the base DSAR-15P assault rifle. Kang W. Lee, Dasan’s Sales Division Executive Director, said the DSAR-15 has been continuously improved since it entered the international market in 2016. He also said the weapon had been sold to many countries – more on that later.

At Seoul ADEX 2023, a DSAR-15P with 14.5-inch barrel was on display. This rifle with gas-operated piston (note that the “P” designation in its name stands for piston) and rotating bolt, and it has a length of 33in (840mm) and weight of 6.8lb (3.1kg). It features an ambidextrous charging handle and collapsible butt stock with six positions. Its effective range is listed as 547y (500m).

Significantly, the DSAR-15PC 5.56 x 45mm rifle was selected in June 2020 to meet a requirement for 16,300 new carbines for South Korea’s Special Warfare Command. After a subsequent development and evaluation period, these weapons would have begun to replace the incumbent K1A carbine. The DSAR-15PC with 11.5-inch barrel had won out over the competing SNT Motiv STC16 for this program.

However, this Special Operations Submachine gun Type I program was suspended after an investigation revealed that Dasan had gained unauthorized access to government documentation about the type of weapons being sought. The president of Dasan and a former army officer were later charged. The country’s Defense Acquisition and Program Administration (DAPA) subsequently halted this procurement effort in June 2021, though it was recently relaunched.

The delay has likely put competitor SNT Motiv in a better position, as in the interim it has won the Special Operations Submachinegun Type II program with its STC16 5.56mm carbine. When the Type I program was launched, SNT Motiv’s weapon was only in prototype form, whereas now it is fully developed. One source told Small Arms Defense Journal that some of these shenanigans may be politically motivated.

Also on show at Seoul ADEX was the DSAR-15PQ 5.56mm rifle, with the “Q” in its nomenclature denoting a quick-release barrel. In advertisements at the show, this DSAR-15PQ was also referred to as the NGAR, standing for Next-Generation Assault Rifle. Unveiled just last year, the DSAR-15PQ is available with 7.5-inch, 10.5-inch, 11.5-inch, 14.5-inch or 16-inch barrels. According to Dasan literature, the version with an 11.5-inch barrel weighs 6.6lb (3kg), is 28.9in (733.5mm) long and has an effective range of 437y (400m). Its rate of fire is listed as 750-850 rounds per minute. A silencer has been developed for it too. Kang said the DSAR-15PQ has already been tested by the Republic of Korea Army (ROKA).

Also newly exhibited was the DSAR-762, a 7.62 x 51mm rifle with a 16-inch barrel, after its development was completed last year. It has an effective range of 875y (800m). It uses a gas piston and can fire on fully automatic, but its recoil is more like that of a 5.56mm weapon, Kang noted. The DSAR-762 weighs 8.8lb (4kg) and measures 35.5in (902mm) long, plus it is available with a longer 20-inch barrel.

Also available is the DSSR-762 semiautomatic designated marksman rifle chambered in 7.62 x 51mm. This gas piston-operated weapon has a muzzle brake, adjustable bipod and 20-inch hammer-forged barrel to create an 875y (800m) range. Its overall length is 40.7in (1.035m), it weighs 9.6lb (4.3kg) and 5-, 10- or 20-round magazines are available.

Elsewhere, the DSAR-47 7.62 x 39mm rifle with 14.5-inch or 16-inch barrel is targeted at countries that use AK-47 weapons and ammunition. Nonetheless, it is still based on the AR-15/M4, so it features interchangeable parts. Dasan completed the DSAR-47 last year and it is now in the testing phase. The version with a 16-inch barrel weighs 7.5lb (3.4kg), and it offers a 383y (350m) range.

Dasan has won sizeable contracts overseas, plus it has a factory in the U.S. known as Alpha Foxtrot. The facility is located in Duluth, Georgia.

One of Dasan’s most recent successes was a deal from the Philippine National Police for 5,755 DSAR-15 rifles with 14.5-inch barrels and a full rail interface system. The rifles will be distributed by United Defense Manufacturing Corporation in the Philippines, in what SADJ understands is Dasan’s first major deal with Manila. The national police force showed off its first batch of DSAR-15s on 2 October. Another known Asian customer of Dasan rifles is the Indonesian Coast Guard.

Dasan also exhibited 5.56mm and 7.62mm versions of its belt-fed XR-17 machine gun, which use a long-stroke gas piston operating system. First shown at DX Korea last year, the latter medium machine gun weighs 13.9lb (6.3kg) and is 45.3 (1.15m) long. With a rate of fire of 550-650 rounds per minute, it has a maximum effective range of 875y (800m). As for the XR-17 light machine gun, it is 39.4in (1m) long and has an 18-inch barrel. The “X” in the designation shows that the XR-17 is still in development. It will compete directly against the K15 5.56mm light machine gun and K16 7.62mm medium machine gun from SNT Motiv.

Unfortunately, Dasan has attracted some criticism over the quality of its weapons, both domestically and internationally. A prime example was a sale to Finland with rifles patterned after the AK, following a public tender. These were for the Maanpuolustuskoulutusyhdistys (MPK, which translates as the National Defense Training Association of Finland), which is responsible for providing military training to Finnish citizens. The MPK wanted a rifle that would mimic in-service RK 62 and RK 95 7.62mm rifles, and Dasan was selected to supply DAK47 weapons in 2020. They had several features such an adjustable folding buttstock, polymer pistol grip and aperture rear sight to replicate Finnish weapons.

However, there was a mixed reception to Dasan’s AK clone, with charges of flimsiness and production quality issues. A translated article on MPK’s official website dated 4 May 2022 stated: “In 2020, the rifles acquired from South Korea have not met expectations. Within a short period of time, there have been four malfunctions leading to breakage of the MPK rifle frame, which is why the weapons are prohibited from use. However, according to MPK, no personal injuries have occurred.”

The MPK pulled these weapons from service in the volunteer training force. Then, in January 2023, the MPK announced that Dasan would recall the rifles and provide an AR-15-based variant instead. Simultaneously, the MPK will obtain new AR-15-based 5.56mm rifles from Sako.

Another South Korean firm to exhibit at Seoul ADEX 2023 was K-Tech Firearms, which was only established in 2018. In 2020, DAPA licensed K-Tech to produce firearms, and in March this year it signed a contract with Caracal to promote its weapons in the South Korean market. At the Seoul exhibition, K-Tech had on display KCAR 816 and KCAR 817 rifles, which were clearly Caracal offerings.

Competitors for the aforementioned and resurrected Special Operations Submachinegun Type I program are almost certainly set to include SNT Motiv, Dasan Machineries, and K-Tech.