That familiarity has long produced barracks stories, including pranks in which senior soldiers tell new recruits to go to the PX, the on-base store, to “buy a rifle.” Another common headache is losing a small part such as the gas regulator, a component that can come loose easily and can lead to hours of reprimands.
Rifles that were once seen mainly as personal weapons for domestic use are now being sold overseas, becoming part of the global defense market. Here is a look at South Korea’s rifle and ammunition industries and where they may be headed.
The K2 rifle, familiar to many reservists, is mainly produced by SNT Motive. The K2 is widely known as a Korean adaptation of the U.S. M16. It weighs 3.26 kilograms and can be fitted with a bayonet for close combat.
While less common today, bayonet training was taught at boot camps in the late 2000s. Close-quarters fighting can be useful in mountainous terrain.
The K2’s look has also changed. The K2C1, introduced in 2016, is an updated model designed for modern combat. It allows easier mounting of equipment such as optics on the handguard, and its stock can be adjusted to fit different body types.
An SNT Motive official said the upgrades reflected changes in soldiers’ physiques over the 30 years since K2 production began. “It became possible to attach a detachable rear sight and a forward grip, improving ease of use and combat efficiency,” the official said.
After the upgrade, the K2C1 became a main domestic weapon. SNT Motive supplied 16,000 rifles to South Korea’s military for domestic demand in 2024 and another 16,000 last year. Since it entered service in 2016, cumulative domestic supply has reached about 190,000 rifles. As markets opened in the Middle East and Southeast Asia, about 40,000 rifles are reported to have been exported over the same period.
SNT Motive posted operating profit of 102.6 billion won last year, up 4.5% from a year earlier. Dasan Machineries also joined the export push, signing a contract early this year to export about 15,000 DSAR-15P 5.56 mm carbine rifles to the Philippines.
A Dasan Machineries official said the company established a clear bidding strategy and gained an edge over defense firms from Brazil, Turkey and the Philippines.
Ammunition is tightly controlled in the military, often overseen by a dedicated noncommissioned officer. Many reservists recall units spending hours searching for missing shell casings after live-fire drills.
South Korea’s leading ammunition producer is Poongsan. Most 5.56 mm rounds issued at firing ranges are made there. According to filings on the Financial Supervisory Service’s electronic disclosure system, Poongsan posted 775.9 billion won in revenue in the third quarter last year from sales of military and sporting ammunition. Over the same period, its U.S. subsidiary PMC Ammunition recorded US$99.7 million (1.435 trillion won) in results, reflecting sales of small-caliber rounds beyond South Korea and into the U.S. market.
Ammunition has taken on added importance as drones emerge as a major threat in modern warfare, accelerating competition to develop rounds designed to intercept them. In the global defense industry, developing 30 mm airburst ammunition for counter-drone missions has become a key task.
Research and Markets forecasts the counter-drone ammunition market will grow at an average annual rate of 14.5%, from US$1.52 billion in 2025 to US$1.75 billion this year.
Nam Myeong Ryeol, head of Korea University’s K-Defense Industry Research Center, said South Korean rifles are drawing attention in export markets because they perform reliably in harsh conditions, can be supplied in large quantities on time, and are price-competitive.
<Editor’s note>
Covering the defense industry. Aju News reporter Oh Ju Seok enlisted as an enlisted soldier at a unit in Incheon in 2009 and was discharged in 2013 with the rank of staff sergeant. He describes himself as a military enthusiast who has not fully moved on from his time in uniform, and asks for readers’ interest and guidance.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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