Hindi ito Marites: Here comes K-defense

South Korea’s cultural exports are now all the rage. K-pop groups like BTS and BLACKPINK have dominated the global music scene in ways no Asian acts have done before, topping the Billboard Hot 100 chart several times. A scroll through your top options on Netflix and other streaming platforms will likely offer you a number of K-drama hits. But that’s all soft power.

Did you know that South Korea is now becoming one of the world’s top providers of military hardware?

The Philippines’ first-ever brand new frigates, the BRP Jose Rizal and the BRP Sierra Madre, were built in South Korea by the company Hyundai Heavy Industries. We’re not the only country buying defense assets from them. The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute has placed South Korea among the world’s top 10 military hardware providers.

In this episode, Rappler editor-at-large Marites Vitug talks about the rise of K-defense. – Rappler.com

Presenter, writer: Marites Vitug
Videographer: Jeff Digma
Video editor: Jaene Zaplan
Producer: JC Gotinga
Supervising producer: Beth Frondoso