South Korea's Cheongung-3: Strategic Competition and Air Defense Modernization
South Korea’s air defense architecture is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by the strategic imperatives posed by regional threats and technological innovation. The advancement of missile capabilities in North Korea, combined with broader regional tensions involving China and the Indo-Pacific, has prompted Seoul to accelerate the development of a multi-layered, domestically anchored air defense system. Within this framework, the Cheongung-3 program represents a major milestone. Positioned as a next-generation solution to safeguard critical infrastructure and population centers, it reflects South Korea’s ambition to reduce reliance on foreign systems while consolidating national industrial capabilities. The competition between major defense contractors to secure roles in this program also reveals the evolving dynamics of the country’s military-industrial complex, which is increasingly influenced by export potential, integration with allied systems, and internal technological maturity.