AI becomes centerpiece of South Korea's military strategy

SEOUL, November 20 (AJP) - South Korea’s defense industry is increasingly positioning itself at the forefront of the global arms race, leaning heavily on artificial intelligence to offset shrinking troop numbers and to adapt to fast-changing warfare technologies.

The shift has drawn in some of the country’s most powerful semiconductor companies, deepening ties between its tech and defense sectors.

Industry officials say the military has begun widening its defense strategy by accelerating the adoption of advanced AI, with unmanned aerial vehicles accounting for nearly a third of all AI-related applications. Defense contractors are moving aggressively into next-generation unmanned combat systems.

Those ambitions were on full display at the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition, known as ADEX 2025, where companies unveiled a slate of AI-driven systems. Kim Min-seok, vice president of the Korea Aerospace Industries Association, said the event marked a turning point, positioning South Korean AI technology as “a new trend in global defense.”

Korea Aerospace Industries introduced its multipurpose unmanned aerial platform, known as the AAP, in its first public appearance. The aircraft demonstrated autonomous flight powered by “K-AILOT,” an AI pilot system that the company plans to integrate into major platforms, including the KF-21 fighter jet.

KAI expects to conduct flight demonstrations with the AAP next year. The project is supported by Samsung Electronics, which is working on AI and radio-frequency semiconductors to advance so-called “K-on-device” AI chips.

On the ground, militarized robotics are moving closer to operational use. LIG Nex1, which acquired the U.S.-based Ghost Robotics in 2023, has expanded into robotic “military dogs.”

Hyundai Rotem, another major industrial player, delivered a quadruped robot to the Army last year and introduced the “Black Veil,” a hydrogen fuel cell-powered unmanned vehicle, at the exhibition. Hyundai Wia, meanwhile, showcased an AI-enabled remote weapons system designed to improve the efficiency of tactical vehicles.

Hyundai Motor Group is also broadening its ambitions, aiming to assemble a defense portfolio that spans land, air and space. During the APEC summit in Gyeongju, the conglomerate secured 50,000 Nvidia GPUs to bolster its AI capabilities— resources that officials say could accelerate unmanned systems development across its defense subsidiaries.

Hanwha Systems is working to strengthen synthetic aperture radar technology and is developing mobile ground-station shelters that can improve command resilience in the event of an attack.

South Korean defense officials say these advances reflect a broader shift in military planning.

Park Heung-soon, head of infrastructure operations at the Defense Computing Information Agency, warned that the future battlefield will be shaped by pandemics, geopolitical competition and rapid technological change. AI, he said, will play an essential role across software, data, drones and robotics.

The global market appears to be moving in the same direction. According to Global Growth Insights, the military AI sector is projected to grow from $8.2 billion last year to more than $23 billion by 2034 — an annual increase of roughly 11 percent.

* This article, published by Aju Business Daily, was translated by AI and edited by AJP.

Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.