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Republic of Korea Marine Corps personnel participating in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) 2026 exercise conduct an MV-22 Osprey air assault training session at Marine Corps Base Hawaii (MCBH) in Kaneohe on July 9 (local time). / Photo courtesy of Yonhap News Agency.

Seven out of ten K2 rifles currently operated by the South Korean military have been confirmed to be outdated equipment that has exceeded their service life.

According to data on the K2 rifle inventory of each military branch submitted by Representative Yoo Yong-won of the People Power Party from the Ministry of National Defense on July 13, out of approximately 843,000 K2 rifles held by the military, over 595,000 pieces have exceeded their 25-year service life. This accounts for roughly 70% of the entire inventory.

Broken down by branch, the Marine Corps showed the highest rate of obsolescence, with 26,000 out of its 27,000 rifles (96%) exceeding their service life. This was followed by the Navy with 17,000 out of 18,000 rifles (94%), the Air Force with 36,000 out of 50,000 rifles (72%), and the Army with 516,000 out of 748,000 rifles (69%).

The distribution of the K2C1 rifle—an upgraded variant modified to mount various accessories such as optical sights and target designators—also remains low. Currently, the military holds a total of 173,200 K2C1 rifles, representing a distribution rate of only about 20% compared to the total K2 inventory. By branch, the Army operates 111,000 units, the Navy 7,000 units, the Air Force 40,000 units, and the Marine Corps 16,000 units.

The supply of optical sights is similarly deficient. The total number of optical sights distributed across the military stands at around 134,000, with 124,000 allocated to the Army, 1,000 to the Navy, 1,000 to the Air Force, and 8,000 to the Marine Corps.

The aging of the K5 pistol, used as a secondary weapon, is also severe. In the Air Force, 4,179 out of 5,428 K5 pistols (77%) have exceeded their service life. The Marine Corps followed with 1,500 out of 4,000 pistols (40%), the Army with 11,000 out of 48,000 pistols (22%), and the Navy with 427 out of 4,907 pistols (8%).

"While K-defense is achieving major export breakthroughs in the global market and raising its international standing, it is an unfortunate and serious problem that the personal firearms used by our own service members remain at standards from 40 years ago," Representative Yoo said. "Since soldier survivability and combat capability begin with personal firearms, the current state of obsolescence must no longer be neglected."

He further stated, "The personal firearms used by our soldiers must also evolve to fit the future battlefield environment. A comprehensive plan for the modernization of personal firearms, including the phased replacement of the military's aging K2 rifles and the expanded distribution of the K2C1, must be established promptly."

                                                                                                             Lee Han-sol