70% of South Korean military's K2 rifles exceed service life

July 13 (Asia Today) -- About 70% of the South Korean military's K2 rifles have exceeded their designated 25-year service life, government data showed Monday, raising concerns about the condition of weapons issued to service members.

Rep. Yoo Yong-won of the main opposition People Power Party released the figures after receiving an inventory report from the Defense Ministry.

Of approximately 843,000 K2 rifles held by the military, more than 595,000 have been in service longer than 25 years.

The Marine Corps had the highest proportion of aging rifles. About 26,000 of its 27,000 K2 rifles, or 96%, had exceeded their service life.

The Navy reported that approximately 17,000 of its 18,000 rifles, or 94%, were beyond their designated service period.

The figure was 72% for the Air Force, with about 36,000 of its 50,000 rifles exceeding 25 years of service.

The Army held the largest number of aging weapons, with approximately 516,000 of its 748,000 K2 rifles, or 69%, exceeding their service life.

Distribution of the upgraded K2C1 rifle also remained limited.

The K2C1 includes a rail system that allows service members to attach optical sights, laser target designators and other equipment.

The military held approximately 173,200 K2C1 rifles, equivalent to about 20% of its total K2-series rifle inventory.

The Army operated approximately 111,000 K2C1 rifles, while the Air Force had 40,000, the Marine Corps 16,000 and the Navy 7,000.

The number of optical sights available to the military was even lower.

South Korean forces had approximately 134,000 optical sights, including 124,000 issued to the Army, 8,000 to the Marine Corps and about 1,000 each to the Navy and Air Force.

Aging was also evident among the military's K5 service pistols.

In the Air Force, 4,179 of 5,428 K5 pistols, or 77%, had exceeded their designated service life.

About 1,500 of the Marine Corps' 4,000 pistols, or 40%, were beyond their service period.

The corresponding figures were approximately 11,000 of 48,000 pistols, or 22%, for the Army and 427 of 4,907 pistols, or 8%, for the Navy.

Yoo said South Korea's defense industry has strengthened its global standing through major overseas arms contracts while many weapons used by its own service members remain at a technological level dating back four decades.

"It is regrettable and a serious problem that the personal firearms used by our service members remain at a level from 40 years ago," Yoo said.

"Because the survivability and combat effectiveness of service members begin with their individual weapons, the aging of these firearms can no longer be neglected," he said.

Yoo called for a comprehensive modernization plan, including the phased replacement of aging K2 rifles and expanded distribution of the K2C1.

"Personal firearms used by service members must also advance in line with the future battlefield environment," he said.

-- Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

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Original Korean report: https://www.asiatoday.co.kr/kn/view.php?key=20260713010004780

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This story was originally published July 13, 2026 at 10:08 PM.