The Korea Herald: Estonian defence firms seek Korean partners
Estonian defence companies are seeking closer ties with South Korean manufacturers, pairing their battlefield software and counter-drone experience with Korean production capacity, The Korea Herald reports.
Speaking to visiting Korean reporters in Tallinn, Marko Kaseleht, founder of Estonian battlefield-intelligence company SensusQ and a defence executive at Nortal, described lessons from Ukraine as a possible basis for joint development. The Korea Herald report also spoke with Estonian counter-drone firm Marduk Technologies, which is examining how to share data and know-how with potential Korean partners.
Korea offers manufacturing scale
Kaseleht said Korea is strong in defence platforms, manufacturing and delivery, while Estonian companies work in software, data and cyber security. He proposed combining Korean equipment with software built to work with NATO systems for potential European markets. It is a proposal for cooperation, not an announced product or market-access agreement.
The two countries already have a defence procurement relationship. Estonia operates the Korean K9 howitzer and has ordered the Chunmoo rocket system. Hanwha Aerospace also signed a memorandum with Nortal and SensusQ in 2025 to explore a battlefield management system.
The Korea Herald noted that technical cooperation and data sharing would still have to meet applicable European and Estonian rules.
Battlefield feedback shapes products
Marduk chief operating officer Rauno Lember told the paper that the company updates drone-detection software as new aircraft models appear in Ukraine. Estonian counter-drone supplier DefSecIntel is another company building international defence partnerships around its detection and interception systems.
Read the full Korea Herald report.
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