HEAD TO HEAD
South Korea vs Vietnam
Verdict
South Korea holds a 69–31 advantage over Vietnam on the Relative Advantage Index, a clear margin.
The margin is driven by military spending (82% of the combined total, $47.8bn) and economic size (GDP) (80% of the combined total, $1.9tn).
1 factor — nuclear warheads — could not be scored because the figure is unpublished for at least one side. Those factors are excluded and the remaining weights renormalised, never substituted.
Factor by factor
| Factor | South Korea | Share | Vietnam | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Military spending SIPRI Milex | $47.8bn | 82%18% | $10.5bn | 33% |
Economic size (GDP) World Bank WDI | $1.9tn | 80%20% | $476bn | 27% |
Active personnel COW NMC | 555.0k | 54%46% | 482.0k | 20% |
Logistics & power projection OurAirports | 38 | 50%50% | 38 | 20% |
Shares are each side's portion of the combined total for that factor. Weights are renormalised across the factors both sides publish — see the methodology. Data read 2026-10-22.
