South Korea has signed a major framework agreement with Peru to export K2 Black Panther main battle tanks and K808 White Tiger armored personnel carriers. The deal marks what Seoul expects could become its largest sale of ground combat equipment in Latin America and the first deployment of the K2 tank anywhere in the region. The partnership involves Hyundai Rotem working alongside Peru’s state-run Army Weapons and Ammunition Factory.
Under the framework, Peru intends to acquire a total of 195 armored vehicles, including 54 K2 tanks and 141 K808 wheeled armored carriers. While the governments have not released an official price, South Korean media reports suggest the program could exceed 2 trillion won (approximately $1.3 billion). Final contract execution is anticipated sometime next year once production and delivery schedules are finalized.
This agreement comes on the heels of Poland’s $6.7-billion procurement of K2 tanks earlier this year, a move aimed at reinforcing its land forces amid ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. The earlier Polish deal significantly boosted global interest in South Korean armored platforms and demonstrated Seoul’s ability to deliver advanced systems on large-scale timelines.
With the Peru arrangement, South Korea continues expanding its defense presence in new markets beyond Europe. Already ranked the world’s tenth-largest arms exporter, Seoul aims to rise to fourth place by 2027, positioning its K-series tanks and armored vehicles as competitive alternatives in the global defense sector.
