Robots are detecting and removing landmines in the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) on behalf of military personnel. Searching for injured soldiers who have fallen behind during combat is also the task of 'robot dogs' instead of reconnaissance soldiers. This is a reality that the South Korean military has already implemented or will soon achieve.

The practical application of artificial intelligence (AI) and unmanned systems, once considered a distant future, is rapidly advancing. According to the defense industry on the 10th, the Defense Acquisition Program Administration recently signed a contract for the mass production of 'explosive detection and removal robots' worth KRW 270 billion at Hanwha Aerospace's facility in Changwon, Gyeongsangnam-do. These robots will be deployed to front-line military units as early as the end of this year, with full operational capability expected by 2027. Hyundai Rotem has also trial-deployed the military AI robotic dog 'Defense Multi-legged Walking Robot', developed with Rainbow Robotics, to some army units. This robot can travel at a speed of 4 km/h and conduct reconnaissance and search operations for about two hours.

This shift in the defense market environment is expected to present significant opportunities for 'K-Defense'. This is because South Korea's technological prowess in advanced defense, characterized by AI and unmanned systems, is leading. As of the first half of this year (January to June), major South Korean defense companies have surpassed KRW 100 trillion in order backlogs, solidifying their position as one of the world's top 10 defense countries. According to Fortune Business Insights, the global digital battlefield market size, which was USD 53.4 billion (approximately KRW 77.72 trillion) last year, is projected to reach USD 209.5 billion (approximately KRW 304.9 trillion) by 2032.

The future goal is to become one of the four major defense powers. President Lee Jae-myung stated at the '2025 Seoul Aerospace & Defense Exhibition' last month, "Achieving the status of one of the four major defense powers is not an impossible dream," and "We will invest an unprecedented budget in defense and aerospace research and development (R&D) by 2030." South Korean defense companies are fully committed to further developing next-generation core defense technologies such as AI and unmanned systems to achieve this goal.

Popular News