Across other videos I've often hinted at the Republic of Korea as something of a military outlier. A major power that, at a time that other forces are battling a shortage of artillery, manpower or heavy equipment - still had all of the above at its disposal in serious quantities. Because whereas many other nations in places like Europe embraced the peace dividend of the 1990s, the ROK's strategic context remained complex and threatening - with North Korea's massive conventional (and now nuclear) arsenal constantly ready to resume a war that never officially ended. The ROK's defence strategy is a story of a nation having to make sacrifices and prioritise in order to contain and deter serious threats within the limits of the nation's limited resources. It's an interesting study in a major military for whom mass and artillery firepower remain key tools of deterrence and security - and it is likewise a story of a nation that has gone from a minor actor in the international arms market, t