Korean stocks by theme
Korean Defense Stocks
South Korea's defense exports reached about US$15.4 billion in 2025, up from US$9.5 billion in 2024 and below the 2022 record of US$17.3 billion, according to Defense Acquisition Program Administration figures reported in March 2026 (the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade puts 2025 export orders at US$15.44 billion). Poland remained the largest buyer, at more than 40% of the total. The listed companies below supply artillery and armored vehicles, tanks, missiles, combat aircraft, defense electronics and ammunition.
The listed companies
Market value on the Korea Exchange as of Oct 23, 2026, converted at KRW 1,326 per USD, and 12-month share price change in won.
| Company · KRX code | What it makes | Market value | 12 months |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hanwha Aerospace012450 | K9 self-propelled howitzers, armored vehicles, multiple rocket launchers, precision-guided munitions and aircraft engines; consolidates Hanwha Ocean and Hanwha Systems. | KRW 40.8tn$31bn | -24.5% |
| Hanwha Systems272210 | Defense electronics (radars incl. the KF-21 AESA radar, C4I, avionics, naval combat systems, satellites), 61% of 1H26 revenue; plus IT services and the US Hanwha Philly Shipyard. | KRW 12.5tn$9bn | +18.8% |
| LIG Defense & Aerospace (formerly LIG Nex1)079550 | Precision-guided missiles, surveillance and reconnaissance systems, command-and-control/communications, avionics and electronic warfare. | KRW 10.5tn$8bn | +3.3% |
| Korea Aerospace Industries047810 | KT-1 and T-50 trainers, FA-50 light fighters, KF-21 fighter, KUH/LAH helicopters and satellites; in 1H26 (standalone) 48% of sales were domestic (mainly DAPA), 30% to completed-aircraft export customers such as Poland and 22% to Boeing, Airbus, IAI and others. | KRW 10.0tn$8bn | +0.9% |
| Hyundai Rotem064350 | K2 main battle tanks and wheeled armored vehicles (defense & robotics, 57% of 1H26 revenue), plus high-speed and metro trains (37%) and plant equipment (6%). | KRW 9.0tn$7bn | -65.8% |
| Poongsan103140 | Military and sporting ammunition (17% of 1H26 revenue) alongside a larger copper and copper-alloy products business (83%). | KRW 1.7tn$1bn | -50.0% |
| SNT Dynamics003570 | Transmissions for military vehicles and guns/artillery, plus automotive axles and transmissions and machine tools. | KRW 664bn$1bn | -59.3% |
Research on Korean Defense Stocks
- Hanwha Succession: Who Gained Among the Three Kim Brothers, from One Basket to Three PathsOct 24, 2026
- Rights Offerings in Korea: Rights Issues Fell 12.57% on Announcement Day, Third-Party Placements Rose 0.40%Oct 22, 2026
- Sphere Corp. (347700.KQ) Stock: A SpaceX Alloy Supplier Without a Factory, and the Nickel Smelter That Decides Its ProfitOct 21, 2026
- Kim Jong Un Death Rumor, Succession List and Korean Defense Stocks: Only Victek (065450.KQ) Moved on the Rumor, While the Real Day in 2011 Also Lifted YTN (040300.KQ)Oct 21, 2026
- KOSPI Crash 7.57%: AI Fear Belongs to Chips, but Hanwha Ocean (042660.KS) and Korean Shipbuilders Were Sold Too, a Fear Zone at Grade 1Oct 15, 2026
- Hanwha Vision (489790) Stock Forecast: Only the Cameras Are Priced In, a KRW 72,300 Target and How RSUs and the PRS Swing Net IncomeOct 9, 2026
- North Korea’s DMZ Mine and Kim Yo Jong’s “Self-Staged Farce”: Why Pyongyang Is Harsher on Lee Jae-myung, and What 14 Provocations Did to Korean Defense StocksOct 5, 2026
About this page
- Numbers from the Korea Exchange (KRX) and Yahoo Finance; refreshed when new research is published on this site.
- Company facts were checked on 2026-10-16 against these sources:
- en.sedaily.com/politics/2026/03/25/koreas-defense-exports-hit-154b-in-2025-set-to-grow-fur
- www.fnnews.com/news/202604211415463252
- dart.fss.or.kr/dsaf001/main.do?rcpNo=20260331801667
- dart.fss.or.kr/dsaf001/main.do?rcpNo=20260814003198
- dart.fss.or.kr/dsaf001/main.do?rcpNo=20260825000158
- dart.fss.or.kr/dsaf001/main.do?rcpNo=20260814003309
- dart.fss.or.kr/dsaf001/main.do?rcpNo=20260814002977
- dart.fss.or.kr/dsaf001/main.do?rcpNo=20260820000123
- dart.fss.or.kr/dsaf001/main.do?rcpNo=20260814004203
- dart.fss.or.kr/dsaf001/main.do?rcpNo=20260812000083
Information only. It is not investment advice.