Chunmoo Likely to Become Korea's First Defense Export Item of the Year
by Yang Nakgyu
Published 26 Jan.2026 10:51(KST)
If Export Succeeds, Contract to Be Signed This Week
Deal Worth 2.4 Trillion Won
This year, the Chunmoo Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) has emerged as the leading candidate for Korea’s first defense export item. It is scheduled to be supplied to Norway, with the contract expected to be signed as early as the 30th (local time).
According to a government official on January 26, the budget bill for the introduction of a long-range precision strike system recently passed the standing committee of the Norwegian parliament. The bill now awaits approval from the full parliament and subsequent government procedures. The cost of introducing the Chunmoo system is estimated to be around 19 billion Norwegian kroner (approximately 2.4 trillion won). The final amount and detailed configuration will be confirmed through the remaining procedures.
The Norwegian Army’s rocket capabilities have become severely outdated since the end of the Cold War. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the rapidly changing security environment in the Arctic and Eastern Europe has once again exposed the structural weakness of lacking long-range precision strike capabilities. In response, the Norwegian government has redefined long-range firepower as a core asset for its army and has been pursuing the project with the goal of restoring this capability as quickly as possible.
Norway also considered American and European companies as candidates for the project. Currently, the competition has narrowed to companies from the United States and Korea. The Korean-made Chunmoo is regarded as having an advantage due to its compatibility with Norway’s previously acquired K9 self-propelled howitzers and K10 ammunition resupply vehicles, as well as its integration with Norway’s logistics and maintenance systems.
Chunmoo is a next-generation MLRS system developed with Korea’s own technology. Some observers caution that, given Hyundai Rotem’s K2 Black Panther tank lost out to Germany in Norway’s tank project in 2023, the outcome is not guaranteed. Additionally, Norway’s opposition parties are urging the government to purchase European solutions, citing equipment interoperability with regional partners and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, which could pose another obstacle.
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