According to information published by the Facebook account of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces on October 31, 2020, the new K12 General-Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) developed by the South Korean company S&T Motiv will be the standard 7.62mm machine gun in the South Korean Armed Forces.
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South Korean-made K12 7.62mm machine gun. (Picture source Wikimedia)
The K12 7.62mm caliber General-Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG) will be delivered to infantry units of the South Korean army to replace the old M60D in vehicle & aircraft-mounted roles.
S&T Motiv Co., Ltd is a South Korean firearms and auto parts manufacturer founded in 1981. Its firearms equip most frontline units of the Republic of Korea Armed Forces.
The K12 GPMG is fully designed and developed by the South Korean company S&T Motiv to replace the M60 machine gun for the Republic of Korea Armed Forces. The machine gun was unveiled to the public in 2009, during the ADEX International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition that was held in Seoul.
The K12 is based on the K3's design, layout, and function using a gas piston and rotating bolt. It is fed through a STANAG M13 disintegrating belt link and cannot accept a magazine. The cross-bolt type safety is the same as K3/Minimi, and the receiver is made from steel press with an aluminum alloy feed cover. Although similar in design, the receiver and other important parts are enlarged to accommodate the larger round.
The K12 GPMG is chambered to fire the 7.62×51mm NATO ammunition. The machine gun has a weight of 12 kg, a length of 1,234mm, and has an effective range of 800 m. It has a pistol grip, spade grip, and metal sliding stock all in one gun for the purpose of being quickly converted into a ground-fire machine gun by a dismounted operator. The spade grip can be removed by taking out two pins, removing the grip, and unfolding the stock which is similar in design to the FN Minimi's Para version.
The K12 machine gun features a folding (K3-style) bipod, quick-change barrel, gas regulator, and (M240H-style) flash suppressor. It also has a folding ring sight for firing on helicopters with a folding ladder-type sight for more accurate aiming.
The K12 sight is attached on a MIL-STD 1913 rail, which is also on the feed cover and both sides of the handguard. No laser or optical sight has yet been selected for use on the K12, but some kind of electro-optical accessories are expected in the near future.
