The Republic of Korea (South Korea) has not acceded to the Convention on Cluster Munitions.

South Korea did not make any statements on the convention in 2010 or the first half of 2011. Previously, in October 2009, an official said, “The Republic of Korea fully recognizes the need to reduce humanitarian suffering caused by cluster munitions and supports international efforts to address the problems associated with the use of cluster munitions…. However, due to the unique security situation on the Korean peninsula, my government is unable to take an active stance on the Convention on Cluster Munitions which bans the use of all cluster munitions.”[1]

South Korea has described cluster munitions as legitimate weapons that are “efficient…in deterring enemy attacks.”[2] It has stated its preference for cluster munitions to be addressed within the framework of the Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) in order to strike “an appropriate balance between humanitarian concerns and military considerations.”[3] Yet until the 2007 launch of the Oslo Process that resulted in the Convention on Cluster Munitions, South Korea opposed efforts to tackle cluster munitions in the CCW framework.

South Korea did not participate in the Oslo Process, but it attended the Convention on Cluster Munitions Signing Conference in Oslo in December 2008 as an observer and stated, “We value the intent of the [convention], but considering the current relations between the North and the South, we can’t sign it.”[4]

Since 2008, South Korea has not participated in any of the regional or international diplomatic meetings relating to the convention.

South Korea is party to the CCW and its Protocol V on explosive remnants of war. South Korea has participated regularly in CCW meetings on cluster munitions. In November 2010, South Korea expressed its support for continued CCW deliberations on cluster munitions, noting “our efforts are by no means in vain.”[5]

A local peace group called “Weapon Zero Team” has undertaken several activities to call on the South Korean government to ban cluster munitions.[6]

South Korea is not party to the Mine Ban Treaty.

Use, production, transfer, and stockpiling

South Korea has stated on several occasions that it has never used cluster munitions.[7] It is, however, a known producer, importer, exporter, and stockpiler of the weapon.

In August 2008, the Ministry of National Defense adopted a directive requiring that it only acquire cluster munitions with self-deactivation devices and a 1% or lower failure rate, and recommending, “the development of alternative weapon systems which could potentially replace cluster munitions in the long run.”[8]

In November 2010, South Korea informed the CCW that, “we will do our part to reduce the humanitarian impact of cluster munitions by reflecting [international humanitarian law] standards in our defence forces.”[9]

The Ministry of National Defense has said that “South Korea stopped production of old types of cluster munitions,” and “cluster munitions currently in production have a high level of reliability and most are equipped with [self-destruct] mechanisms.”[10]

The United States (US) concluded a licensing agreement with South Korea in 2001 for production of dual purpose improved conventional munition (DPICM) submunitions for Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS) rockets.[11] 

Two companies in South Korea, Hanwha and Poongsan, produce cluster munitions.[12] Hanwha has acknowledged that it has produced 2 M261 Multi-Purpose Submunition rockets for the Hydra-70 air-to-ground rocket system, as well as KCBU-58B cluster bombs.[13] In March 2008, Hanwha apparently exported an unknown quantity of M261 Multi-Purpose Submunition rockets (each containing nine M73 submunitions) to Pakistan.[14]

Poongsan’s website has advertised a 155mm projectile containing 88 submunitions designated DP-ICM TP, and another 155mm projectile with submunitions designated DP-ICM K305.[15] In April 2009, Poongsan listed among its products the following two types of 155mm artillery projectiles that contain submunitions: K308 DP-ICM TP, containing 88 K224 submunitions, and K310 DP-ICM B/B, containing 49 K221 submunitions.[16]

Poongsan entered into a licensed production agreement with Pakistan Ordnance Factories in November 2004 to co-produce K310 155mm extended-range (base bleed) DPICM projectiles in Pakistan at Wah Cantonment. While the ammunition is primarily being produced for Pakistan’s army, the two firms will also co-market the projectiles to export customers.[17]

According to the report “Worldwide Investments in Cluster Munitions: a shared responsibility,” 17 Korean financial entities are involved in investments in manufacturers of cluster munitions. Both Hanwha and Poongsan are invested in by 16 Korean financial entities, 10 US financial entities, three in the United Kingdom (UK), and one each in both Canada and Switzerland.[18]

South Korea has imported a variety of cluster munitions from the US. It is known to possess M26 rockets, M26A1 extended range rockets, and ATACMS missiles for its MLRS launchers.  Between 1993 and 1999, the US provided 393 M26A1 extended range rocket pods, 271 M26 rocket pods, 111 ATACMS-1 missiles, and 111 ATACMS missiles.[19] South Korea also stockpiles several artillery projectiles with DPICM submunitions (M483A1, M864, and M509A1) imported from the US. [20]In 2001, the US supplied South Korea with 16 each of the following cluster bombs: CBU-87, CBU-97, CBU-103, and CBU-105.[21] Jane’s Information Group lists it as possessing CBU-87 and Rockeye cluster bombs.[22]

The current size and content of South Korea’s stockpile of cluster munitions is not known. In 2005, South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense acknowledged that it “maintains stockpiles of old types of cluster munitions with a high failure rate” and stated, “There are currently no plans to upgrade these holdings…. Equipping old types of submunitions with [self-destruct] mechanisms is not considered feasible due to technical and financial problems.”[23]