Key facts
- Four South Korean defense companies were named among the world's top 100 by Defense News.
- Hanwha ranked 16th with $10.44 billion in defense revenue.
- LIG Nex1 ranked 52nd with $3.03 billion in defense revenue.
- Hyundai Rotem ranked 61st, and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) ranked 74th.
- This is the second consecutive year these companies have appeared on the list.
Four major South Korean defense companies have been recognized among the world's top 100 defense firms by U.S. defense news outlet Defense News. This inclusion highlights South Korea's increasing efforts to bolster its defense exports.
The companies that made the list are Hanwha, LIG Nex1, Hyundai Rotem, and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI). This marks the second consecutive year for these four firms to be featured on Defense News' annual ranking.
Hanwha secured the 16th position with defense revenue totaling approximately $10.44 billion, an improvement from its 22nd place ranking in the previous year. LIG Nex1 placed 52nd with defense revenue of about $3.03 billion, moving up from 53rd. Hyundai Rotem ranked 61st, advancing from 67th, while KAI was listed at 74th, a slight decrease from its previous 62nd position.
The top four spots on the list were occupied by American firms: Lockheed Martin, RTX, General Dynamics, and Northrop Grumman.