Republic of Korea

Thales’ presence in Korea spans over 40 years, supporting the Aerospace & Space, Defence, Cyber & Digital sectors. With 70+ employees based in Seoul, Thales offers solutions in air & naval defence, satellite systems, inflight entertainment systems, ePassports and leading technologies for the mobile sector. In Korea, Thales builds local expertise with leading Korean companies including Hanwha, KAI, Korean Air, KT SAT, LIG Nex1 and Samsung.

Key Figures

40+

years of presence

70+

employees

office locations

Did You Know?

Thales’ equipment and solutions are widely deployed on the South Korean Navy’s ships and helicopters.
Thales has a strong track record in the space sector, supplying 5 civil telecommunications and 4 military surveillance satellites.
More than 40% of Korean Air’s fleet are equipped with Thales IFE systems.
Thales holds a leading market position in eSIM, SIM, and Machine to Machine (M2M) applications.
Thales supplies payment cards and digital identity documents, cybersecured by design.

Solutions

Thales in Republic of Korea is positioned in defence, civil aviation, space and cyber & digital sectors.

Defence

Thales supports Korea’s defence across air, land, and sea domains. Since the 1980s, Thales has supplied Republic of Korea Navy with radars, sonars, radio solutions and fire control systems. It supports mine countermeasures and air defence projects. Thales also provides avionics and helmet-mounted displays on the military helicopters.

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Civil Aviation

Thales is a major supplier of Air Traffic Management solutions in Korea, providing surveillance radars and other measuring equipment and navigation systems. Over 1,000 aircrafts in Korea are equipped with Thales’ avionics, including on Korean Air. Thales has enhanced the passenger experience on Korean Air since 2009, with its Inflight Entertainment systems and offers customer service, engineering support, repair, and logistics operations for avionics and IFE products through global maintenance centers.

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Cyber & Digital

Thales leads Korea in eSIM solutions for consumer and automotive sectors. It provides high-quality cards, digital payment, and e-banking solutions to top banks while securing ePassport systems. Thales enables software monetisation for Korean firms and delivers cybersecurity solutions that protect sensitive data, secures cloud services, validates identities, and supports compliance for key industries, banks and government.

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Space

Thales has 20 years of collaboration with Korea in telecommunications, earth observation, and satellite navigation systems. Thales has built five KOREASAT satellites for KT SAT, delivers equipment to KOMPSAT and CAS-500 programs and is co-developing the K425 radar satellite constellation with Korean space actors. In partnership with Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), Thales developed the KASS system, operational since January 2024, to enhance air traffic safety and emergency response.

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Latest News For Republic of Korea

Space

Koreasat 6A communications satellite successfully launched

Press release

12 Nov 2024

Enterprise

SK Telecom and Thales collaborate on post-quantum cryptography to enhance users’ protection on 5G network

Press release

19 Dec 2023

Space

KOREASAT 6A to embark a satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS) payload built by Thales Alenia Space

Press release

06 Apr 2023

Space

Thales Alenia Space to provide TETRA electric propulsion for Korea’s GEO-KOMPSAT-3 Satellite

Press release

01 Feb 2023

Asia-Pacific

SonarTech and Thales Partner to Further Develop Mine Warfare Systems in Korea

Press release

22 Sept 2022

Asia-Pacific

NAVER Cloud hosts Korea's first Sovereign Cloud-based HSM Service powered by Thales

Press release

29 June 2022

Asia-Pacific

M2Cloud Signs MOU with Thales to Enter Global Biopharma Cold Chain Market Based on IoT

Press release

04 Mar 2022

Group

Thales to modernise airport surveillance in Muan, Ulsan and Yeosu Airports for a safer and efficient sky

Press release

25 Oct 2021

Asia-Pacific

Banks in Asia Are Going Green with Thales

Press release

08 Oct 2021

Access to newsroom

Media Relations

For further enquiries, please contact a member of the Thales media relations team (journalists only).

Local Partnerships

Thales’ strategy in Republic of Korea focuses on a strong partnership approach with key national players, including major companies like Hanwha Systems, LIG Nex1, and KT SAT, as well as leading public research centers such as KARI and ETRI. Thales offers equipment, technology, and engineering expertise to develop local equipment. From 2025, Thales has been part of Korea’s Global Partnership Program with Korea Institute of Startup and Entrepreneurship Development (KISED) and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, helping startups accelerate in AI, big data, cybersecurity, and quantum to expand internationally.

Sustainability Commitments

Thales in Republic of Korea supports a safer, greener, and more inclusive society in line with global ESG goals. The Group aims for net-zero CO₂ by 2040, reducing waste and promoting sustainability. Thales helps vulnerable communities through donations and volunteering, and fosters diversity, equity, and inclusion with a focus on gender diversity and employee wellness. These efforts drive long-term growth and build a future we can all trust.

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Careers at Thales in Republic of Korea

Joining Thales means becoming part of a network of more than 30,000 engineers and subject-matter experts including Nobel Prize winners. Thales continues to strengthen its presence in Republic of Korea with a strong and proudly local workforce.

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