[4] The K200 project began in 1981 when the Republic of Korea Army issued a request for a new Korean Infantry Fighting Vehicle (KIFV) to meet future combat requirements.

The K200 was designed to be an amphibious personnel carrier that could cross shallow rivers, based on the chassis of the American Armored Infantry Fighting Vehicle.

[5] Doosan incorporated the MAN D2848T engine into the K200 under a license-production deal and assimilated its technology using domestic components,[2] a reverse-engineering experience that would prove instrumental in the development of its next IFV, the K21.

[8][needs update] The K200 series of vehicles transport mechanized infantry platoon is designed to keep personnel safe from small arms fire.

[9] The K200 is highly modular, and its variants provide additional types of combat support such as air defense and vehicle recovery using specialized equipment.

[1] In November 2015, Doosan and CMI Defence revealed they had cooperated to create the Cockerill Protected Weapon Station (CPWS) to increase the firepower of the K200.