Now, a new facet from South Korea is poised to make a splash in investors' portfolios — defense stocks. Sang Hun Seok, who is an Indo-Pacific visiting fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, a U.K.-based policy think tank, explained to CNBC that a steady increase in global expenditure, combined with growing geopolitical uncertainties has provided South Korean arms makers with larger global markets. Chosun Ilbo said that just four countries were importing South Korean arms in 2022, but this number rose to 12 in 2023. The appetite for South Korean arms can be explained by the mantra of "cheaper, better, faster." RUSI's Seok said simply: "South Korean exports are highly cost-efficient."

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Persons: Wojtek Radwanski, Hun Seok, RUSI's Seok, Bruce Bennett, Hoshik Nam, KAI, Defense Mariusz Blaszczak, JSU's Nam Organizations: Afp, Getty, Hanwha Aerospace, Korea Aerospace Industries, Hyundai Rotem, LIG, Statistics, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Royal United Services Institute, CNBC, Italian Institute for International Political Studies, Chosun Ilbo, CNBC South, U.S ., Center for Strategic, International Studies, RAND Corporation, Jacksonville State University, FA, Defense, U.S Locations: Korean, Torun, Korea, South Korea, Stockholm, Indo, Pacific, U.K, South Korean, Russia, Ukraine, Moscow, U.S, North Korea, Poland, Soviet, South