The May 2021 conflict between Israel and Hamas spotlighted the remarkable performance of the Iron Dome missile defense system. Videos on social media and long-exposure images showcasing the interceptors swatting down rockets fired into Israel by Hamas made global headlines. 

In South Korea, the Iron Dome system’s performance has weighed on ongoing debates. Seoul, as part of its Intermediate-Term National Defense Plan announced last year, plans to develop an indigenous analog to the Iron Dome. While Iron Dome appears to fulfill many of the objectives Israeli political leaders sought from the system, the context on the Korean