This Year as a Turning Point in Defense Industry - (8) The 1980s When We Made Weapons with Our Own Hands

The Jeong-eunho, the first jet fighter assembled and produced in Korea in 1980

[Kim Min-wook, Editor-in-Chief of Monthly Defense and Technology] Through the continuous efforts of the defense industry to localize defense materials, by the mid-1980s, many weapon systems that had previously relied mostly on overseas sources could be procured from domestic defense companies. From the early days of the defense industry in 1974 until 1986, the proportion of total equipment and material purchases sourced from domestic defense firms reached 58.8%.

In 1986, the Yulgok Project, which had been leading the growth of the defense industry by introducing and producing technologies for tanks, artillery, and fighter jets, transitioned into the third power enhancement project from 1987, focusing on developing highly precise weapons. This intensified the enthusiasm across the defense industry for the comprehensive localization of weapon systems and components. The advancement of overseas defense materials and the acceleration of advanced weapon system development, especially North Korea’s completion of missile bases and development of Scud missiles, further fueled this national momentum.

Based on South Korea’s strategy toward North Korea, the importance of air superiority was recognized, and the development of aviation systems was pursued. At the same time, efforts were accelerated in developing electronic and communication equipment, as well as Korean-style pistols and submachine guns.

The Korea Defense Industry Promotion Association actively promoted the localization of defense equipment and parts in accordance with government policies by establishing a five-year plan for defense equipment localization starting in 1985. Localization tasks were assigned to individual companies for implementation. Parts localization was left to the autonomy of companies, while the government promoted support and policies to increase company participation, selecting target items based on economic feasibility and technical capability for phased development. Accordingly, research and development funds from the Defense Industry Development Fund were allocated to support localization.

During this period, the Korean-made armored vehicle K-200, personal firearms such as the K-1 submachine gun and K-2 assault rifle tailored to the Korean physique, the K-55 self-propelled artillery, and surface-to-surface guided missiles were independently developed by the Agency for Defense Development and deployed in actual service.

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