[2026 GDAMS] Arms buildup leads only to war🚫

Reduce military spending—the fuel of war!

We held a joint press conference in Seoul on April 27 as part of the 2026 Global Days of Action on Military Spending (GDAMS). At the press conference, participants called for an end to the wars currently unfolding across the globe and highlighted the devastating impacts of war and the arms industry on the climate crisis. They also raised serious concerns about the rapid acceleration of the global arms race driven by military AI, both in South Korea and worldwide.

Under the slogan “Arms buildup leads only to war; reduce military spending—the fuel of war,” participants carried out a performance emphasizing that we stand at a crossroads between war and peace and must choose peace.

Following the press conference, participants held a pop-up protest in Seoul to raise public awareness of the dangers of the arms race and its potential to escalate military tensions and conflict.

The full text of our joint press statement is available below.

2026 Global Days of Action on Military Spending Campaign in the ROK

Arms buildup leads only to war

Reduce military spending—the fuel of war!

We stand here today with an overwhelming sense of grief and anguish at the rentless devastation and loss of life unfolding in wars across the globe. The war that began with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has continued for over four years, leaving casualties approaching two million. The war between Israel and Hamas, which began in October 2023, has escalated into a genocide in the Gaza Strip of Palestine, with more than 73,000 people killed to date. In the war that began on February 28, 2026, with the invasion of Iran by the United States and Israel, more than 3,000 people have been killed over the past two months, including over 260 children under the age of 12. Despite the continuation of wars that inflict immense harm on civilians, the world is rushing headlong into an arms race.

Even as death marches on across distant regions, domestic media emphasize the growth of “K-defense,” and the government openly boasts of profiting from the tragedies of other nations through arms exports. Last year, South Korea ranked fourth in global arms exports. We must remember that behind these figures lie the brutal realities of violence and war. President Lee Jae-myung recently criticized Israel’s violations of human rights and emphasized “universal human rights.” Yet, when considering the universal rights to life and safety—so easily disregarded amid the horrors of war—we cannot help but question whether the government’s continued export of arms to regions including Israel is compatible with its stated commitment to such principles. When the international community called on the South Korean government to halt arms trade with Israel amid the worsening genocide in Palestine, the government responded by concealing arms export data.

Today, the world is increasingly defined by war, with armed conflicts and tensions intensifying across regions. In January, the United States violated the UN Charter by invading Venezuela, and in February, it joined Israel in an unlawful invasion of Iran. Meanwhile, from the Ukraine–Russia war to more recent military operations, the growing deployment of military AI has fundamentally transformed the nature of warfare. This development is driving countries into a global arms race centered on artificial intelligence and drone technologies. South Korea is no exception. Under the banner of building a high-tech military, it increased its 2026 defense budget by 7.5% from the previous year to 65.86 trillion won. The global trend in military spending reflects precisely this trajectory.

According to the <Trends in World Military Expenditure, 2025> released today by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), global military spending in 2025  reached 2.887 trillion USD—an increase of 2.9% compared to 2024. Many individual countries have significantly increased their military budgets. In particular, NATO member states in Europe have recorded sharp rises: Germany, Spain, Poland, and Ukraine each increased their military spending by over 20% year-on-year. In South Korea’s case, despite increase of 2.6%(real term) in military spending, it ranked 13th globally, lower than the previous year.

With astronomical sums being poured into military spending worldwide, has the world truly become more peaceful? Have our lives become safer? Endless wars continue to claim the lives of countless civilians and innocent children. The number of refugees forced from their homes continues to grow. What about the Korean Peninsula? Despite spending an amount equivalent to 1.5 times North Korea’s GDP on military expenditures and heavily investing in what is called “K-defense,” the reality we face is one of persistent military confrontation and tension. All channels of inter-Korean communication have been severed, and a dangerous standoff persists in which accidental clashes or miscalculations could escalate into armed conflict at any moment.

Another name for military tension is the arms race. History has shown us that arms buildups lead to arms races, which in turn heighten tensions and can escalate into war through unintended conflict. Another name for war is massive military expenditure. This is why we call today for reducing military spending—the very fuel of war.On the occasion of the 2026 Global Days of Action on Military Spending, we make the following demands. The priority must be to allocate resources toward addressing real crises that threaten lives and livelihoods, including the climate crisis, social inequality, and the building of peace. We must no longer prioritize increasing military spending and entering arms races under the pretext of strengthening military power. We must halt the arms race that exacerbates global crises and instead commit to building peace through peaceful means. Rather than pursuing more weapons and military exercises that erode trust, we must work toward improving relations through phased disarmament and the resumption of inter-Korean dialogue.

April 27th, 2026
2026 Global Days of Action on Military Spending
Campaign Team of the ROK
강정일상저항행동, 강정친구들, 경제정의실천시민연합 통일협회, 국제민주연대, 녹색연합, 대안문화연대, 비무장평화의섬제주를만드는사람들, 시민평화포럼, 실천불교승가회, 열린군대를위한시민연대, 우주군사화와로켓발사를반대하는사람들, 전쟁없는세상, 제주평화인권센터, 참여연대, 청년기후긴급행동, 평화를만드는여성회,
평화의 바다를 위한 섬들의 연대 제주위원회, 피스모모, 한반도평화행동, 한베평화재단

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