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Ukraine ranks top arms buyer, South Korea slips into top 10 of sellers: Report

Published: 10 Mar. 2025, 17:53

SEO JI-EUN
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A Ukrainian serviceman of the 5th Separate Heavy Mechanised Brigade of the Ukrainian Armed Forces drives in a Leopard 1A5 tank, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, near a front line in Donetsk region, Ukraine, on Feb. 4. [REUTERS/YONHAP]

Ukraine became the world's largest arms importer over the past five years, while South Korea climbed into the ranks of the top 10 global arms exporters, according to a report released Monday.

Ukraine's arms imports skyrocketed nearly 100-fold compared to the previous five-year period from 2015 to 2019, making it the world's largest arms importer, according to the Trends in International Arms Transfers 2024 report published by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (Sipri), a Sweden-based non-profit think tank.

The country accounted for 8.8 percent of total global arms imports.

Since Russia’s invasion in 2022, at least 35 countries have supplied weapons to Ukraine.

The United States was the largest supplier, accounting for 45 percent of Ukraine’s total arms imports, followed by Germany at 12 percent and Poland at 11 percent.

South Korea’s arms exports increased by 4.9 percent over the five-year period, procuring its position as the world’s 10th-largest arms exporter.

Its share of global arms exports also inched up from 2.1 percent to 2.2 percent.

Poland was South Korea’s largest arms customer, accounting for 46 percent of its total exports, followed by the Philippines at 14 percent and India at 7 percent.

On the import side, South Korea’s arms purchases declined by 24 percent compared to the previous five years, reducing its share of global arms imports from 3.4 percent to 2.6 percent. The country fell to 12th place in global arms imports, three spots lower than the previous year’s ninth-place ranking.

The Sipri report noted that “tensions with China and North Korea” prompted both South Korea and Japan to expand their military capabilities. The United States remains the primary arms supplier to both nations, providing 86 percent of South Korea’s imported weapons and 97 percent of Japan’s.

“Based on their known pending deliveries, both Japan and South Korea will remain among the world’s top arms importers and will probably increase their imports in the coming years,” the report read.

BY SEO JI-EUN [[email protected]]