The military has relied on overseas sources for bulletproof helmets and body armor for decades. In 2016, prosecutors investigated after a company that had won an exclusive supply right through corruption distributed defective body armor that was fully penetrated even by ordinary bullets. The industry says Korea has lacked technology for ballistic materials.
Korea Precision Materials Industry, launched in 2020, is pushing to enter the body armor market by producing ballistic materials. It is exporting this material overseas and discussing partnerships with body armor manufacturers to supply the military domestically.
Korea Precision Materials Industry processes aramid, known as a super fiber, and polyethylene to produce high-performance fiber lightweight composites. Composites are fibers made by combining two or more materials to increase strength while reducing weight. The market for high-performance fiber lightweight composites is dominated by the United States, Europe, and China, and Korea has mostly imported them from China.
Until now, there were companies that produced materials and supplies (aramid) and companies that made ballistic products, but there was no materials company linking the two. Kolon Industries and Taekwang Industrial produce aramid, but most of it is exported overseas.
Using aramid and carbon fiber, Korea Precision Materials Industry completed development in 2023 of UD ballistic fabric, an advanced material made by aligning fibers in a single direction. Ballistic plates made from this fabric are lightweight yet more resistant to heat and impact than conventional ballistic materials. A strength is that it is produced entirely domestically, enabling custom orders and rapid delivery.
The standard for body armor used by Korean Army infantry is rear deformation (the amount of deformation occurring inside the armor) of 44 mm or less and weight of 3 kg or less. This means that when struck by a bullet, the back face of the body armor must bulge no more than 44 mm. Body armor made with Korea Precision Materials Industry's ballistic material measured 15% lower than the specifications in both rear deformation and weight.
Ballistic materials can be used not only in body armor and helmets but also in interior components of tanks, self-propelled guns, helicopters, and manned and unmanned fighter jets. Korea Precision Materials Industry is developing interior components for a weapons system and stab- and bullet-resistant vests for domestic and overseas military and police. It is also expanding production facilities for mass production of UD ballistic fabric.
Lee Jin-ho, executive director overseeing management support at Korea Precision Materials Industry, said, "We have secured growth potential through supply chain stability and technological self-reliance," and added, "The United States, Europe, and China are managing supply chains by establishing localization laws for essential strategic materials. Korea also needs support so that the domestic supply chain can be managed."