S. Korea listed as 3rd-largest importer of U.S. weapons: defense market yearbook

SEOUL. KAZINFORM - South Korea bought U.S. weapons totaling US$6.73 billion from 2008-2017, becoming the third-largest importer of arms produced by its treaty ally, an annual defense market analysis showed Wednesday, Yonhap reports.

According to the 2018 Global Defense Market Yearbook by the state-run Defense Agency for Technology and Quality, Saudi Arabia topped the list of importers of U.S. weapons, followed by Australia, South Korea and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

During the decade starting 2008, Saudi Arabia imported $10.63 billion worth of U.S. weapons, while Australia and the UAE purchased $7.27 billion and $6.7 billion worth of American arms, respectively, the yearbook said.

Japan, a core Asian ally of the U.S., took seventh place with its purchase of $3.75 billion worth of U.S. weapons during the same period.

The list of the world's weapons importers highlighted U.S. allies' heavy reliance on American military products for their national defense.

In recent years, Seoul has opted for U.S. defense giants in its major procurement projects, purchasing Lockheed Martin's F-35A fighters and introducing Boeing's P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.