South Korea's Arms Boom: Middle East Conflict, Western Profits
South Korea is set to become a top arms exporter, with the Middle East now accounting for a third of global weapons imports. Nations like Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Kuwait are gorging on military hardware, with defense spending rocketing to $220.6 billion last year, an average 15.6% increase. The Korea Times conveniently credits 'persistent geopolitical tensions' for this market boom, rather
than, say, the billions in US military aid that props up many of these regimes, or the decades of interventionism that created the 'tensions' in the first place. While South Korean arms offer 'competitive pricing,' the real cost is paid in prolonged conflicts and destabilization, often featuring US-made weapons against populations starved into submission. It appears the 'rules-based order' always
has room for new arms dealers, as long as they don't undercut the primary merchants of chaos. After all, what’s a little regional bloodshed when there are quarterly reports to consider?