Defense Acquisition Program Administration unveils 'K-defense global co-expansion' vision

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), led by Commissioner Lee Yong-cheol, on Wednesday unveiled "large-SME global co-expansion" as a core strategy to reform the country's defense export structure, which has long been dominated by large conglomerates.

DAPA announced the "K-defense global co-expansion vision" at the second Defense Industry Day ceremony, held at the War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan, Seoul.

Defense Industry Day is a statutory national observance held every July 8, designated to mark the date in 1592 when the turtle ship was first deployed in combat. About 300 people attended the ceremony, including senior government officials, military representatives, heads of defense companies and ambassadors from key countries.

The event's main slogan was "K-defense: Great Leap, Sustainable Growth for All." The phrase "great leap" reflects the government's strong commitment to propelling South Korea into the ranks of the world's top four defense powers, while "sustainable growth for all" signals its intent to ensure that gains from defense industry development translate into broader economic and national security benefits for society.

During a presentation of success stories, Korea Aerospace Industries Executive Vice President Cha Jae-byeong described how the company successfully developed the KF-21 fighter jet despite early setbacks — including the deteriorating domestic and international environment caused by COVID-19 and the technical challenges of developing the country's first homegrown combat aircraft — through active government support and close collaboration with domestic partners.

Jeon Tae-gyun, chief executive of SIA, shared his experience overcoming obstacles in developing AI-based satellite imagery analysis technology, including constraints on securing training data for defense applications, with the help of government support.

"K-defense has established itself as a trusted security cooperation partner in the global market, and that is thanks to the defense industry workers who have toiled behind the scenes and to the support of the Korean people," DAPA Commissioner Lee said. "Using this ceremony as a turning point, we will further strengthen the domestic foundation for the sustainable growth of the defense industry and build a robust defense ecosystem that leads the world market."