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South Korea: The Next Big Arms Dealer in Asia?

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South Korea: The Next Big Arms Dealer in Asia?
South Korean soldiers sit on the top of a K9 Thunder 155mm self-propelled Howitzer during an equipment demonstration at the Defense Expo Korea 2016 at KINTEX exhibition hall in Goyang, north of Seoul, on Sept. 10, 2016. Jung Yeon-Je/AFP via Getty Images
Richard A. Bitzinger
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Commentary

The international arms bazaar is not an equal-opportunity marketplace. There is no level playing field, even if market leaders like the United States, Europe, Russia, and a few others were not fixing the whole affair. Given high barriers to entry, it is hard for an aspiring arms exporter to break into the business.

Richard A. Bitzinger
Richard A. Bitzinger
Author
Richard A. Bitzinger is an independent international security analyst. He was previously a senior fellow with the Military Transformations Program at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) in Singapore, and he has held jobs in the U.S. government and at various think tanks. His research focuses on security and defense issues relating to the Asia-Pacific region, including the rise of China as a military power, and military modernization and arms proliferation in the region.
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