South Korea's defense chips 99% import-dependent as photonic supply chain crisis looms

South Korea’s near-total reliance on imported photonic chips for defense exposes a systemic gap in integrated photonics and advanced packaging. The absence of domestic InP wafer supply and silicon photonics design IP will delay deployment of next-gen military systems like quantum sensors and LiDAR. As global supply chains fragment along geopolitical lines, Seoul risks 'compliance-driven cutoffs'—exclusion not by sanction but by realignment. TSMC and IMEC are already advancing co-packaged optics, while Korean foundries lack foundational IP. Within 18 months, state-backed vertical integration attempts are likely, yet without EDA tools or standardized test protocols, yield ramp-up will lag. This is fundamentally a deficit in technological sovereignty; without rebuilding the full stack—from materials to packaging—Korea’s high-end defense electronics will remain hostage to geopolitical permissions.