South Korea is winning arms deals on a number Politico barely mentions: its howitzers cost half as much (politico.com)
Korean systems run 40-60% cheaper unit for unit: K9 at ~$3.5-4M vs Paladin ~$8M, Chunmoo MLRS ~$2M vs HIMARS ~$4.5M, 155mm shells ~$2k vs ~$3.5k. Seoul fields 2,780 self-propelled guns, third in the world.
The self-reliance traces to Vietnam, where Korean troops carried WW2 rifles and a frustrated President Park spun up a domestic defense agency.
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