Korean Media: K-Military City: UAE Provides 6 Million Barrels of Crude Oil to South Korea in Exchange for Missiles
At 4 p.m. on the 9th, a large dark gray transport plane appeared on the runway of Daegu Airport. It was a C-17 "Globemaster" transport aircraft belonging to the UAE Air Force. This strategic transport aircraft, which can carry up to 77 tons, flew to Daegu to transport the "Cheongung-II" interception missiles produced at the nearby Gumi Industrial Park. This missile, known as the "South Korean Patriot," has a 96% probability of intercepting Iranian air attacks. Therefore, the UAE requested an "air express" to obtain the missile as soon as possible. This is also the background why the UAE urgently provided 6 million barrels of crude oil to South Korea.
¬ The Gumi Industrial Park, which was born under the instructions of President Park Chung-hee in the 1970s, is the birthplace of K-electronics industry. In 2005, Gumi accounted for 10.7% of national exports, and its per capita GDP (regional gross domestic product) reached three times the national average, pioneering the era of per capita income of $40,000. All mobile phones once owned by Samsung were produced here, leading the global display industry. However, since the 2010s, due to China's low-cost campaign and the transfer of mobile phone production bases overseas, Gumi had to face a cold winter of hollowing out.
¬ Planting the seeds of K-military industry in Gumi started with the "Seokgul Project" launched half a century ago to achieve self-defense. In 1976, Kinsan Precision (now LIG Nex1) evolved the precision technology used in manufacturing TV circuits into the "eyes" (radar) and "brain" (guidance system) of missiles. Later, Hanwha Systems, a leader in radar and command and control systems, joined this effort, making Gumi a hub for advanced battlefield systems. Recently, LIG Nex1 invested 20 billion won (approximately RMB 936 million) for expansion, while Hanwha Systems is building a new factory with an investment of 16 billion won (approximately RMB 750 million).
¬ In the K-military industry ecosystem, Changwon, which produces the K9 self-propelled howitzer and K2 tank, is the "muscle," Sacheon, which produces domestically made fighter jets, is the "wings," and Gumi, which produces the advanced Cheongung-class missiles and leads electronic warfare, is the "brain." Together, they form a triangular formation. This is a rare innovation case where Changwon and Sacheon protect traditional mechanical aviation industries, while Gumi upgrades the DNA of a once-declining electronics city into high-value strategic assets.
¬ Pittsburgh, which transformed from a steel city into a biotech holy land, Oulu in Finland, which overcame the collapse of Nokia and became a 6G innovation base, and Malmö in Sweden, which became an environmental industry hub after sending away giant cranes, are symbols of "city transformation." In the early stages of industrialization, Gumi was the lifeline of a poor country engaged in labor-intensive industries. Now, Gumi is manufacturing some of the world's most advanced weapons and writing a new history. The sound of the engines of the transport plane taking off from Daegu Airport seems to tell the future of South Korea's military industry.
Source: Chosun Ilbo
Original: toutiao.com/article/1859336802787336/
Statement: This article represents the views of the author alone.