South Korea ranks ninth in the world in terms of defense technology

SEOUL, Jan. 10 (Yonhap) — South Korea was ranked the ninth most advanced country in the world in terms of defense technologies as of last year, according to a triennial government report published this Monday, which noted progress in artillery, submarines and more. of sectors.

According to a report by the South Korean Defense Planning and Technological Advancement Research Institute (KRIT), the country ranked ninth out of 16, an improvement over the previous report, from 2018, when South Korea tied with Italy in ninth place. Place.

The institute has published the report since 2008, in order to assess South Korea’s comparative strengths and weaknesses to help strategize its defense research and development.

Among the 26 key areas of defense technology, South Korea’s capabilities have improved in 10 areas, including artillery, submarines, command control, electronic weapons and underwater surveillance, according to the report.

However, the report noted that 11 areas, including radar systems and space weapons, need “more attention”.

The organization “Crete” said in a press release that the country’s “ranking” in the field of artillery has risen to 4th place, based on the improved performance of self-propelled artillery and automation technology.

It added that the level of its technology has also improved in submarines, such as the successful test launch of a submarine-launch ballistic missile (SLBM) last year.

In the latest report, the United States ranked first, followed by France and Russia, which tied for second place. Germany and the United Kingdom came in fifth, followed by China, Israel and Japan.