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South Korea’s rise as major arms exporter in Asia 

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South Korea has its sights on becoming the world's fourth-largest weapons maker by 2027.

South Korea has set its sights on becoming the world's fourth-largest maker of weapons by 2027.

PHOTO: AFP

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- In a gesture of goodwill years ago, when the Philippines was boosting its weak naval defence capabilities amid territorial disputes in the South China Sea, South Korea made the decision to

donate a soon-to-retire corvette warship

to the country.

The Chungju was decommissioned in 2016 at the age of 29 and transferred to the Philippine Navy in 2019 for a token fee of US$100 (S$136). 

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