Military tensions are rising at home and abroad. With the Israeli-Palestinian war in the distance, the long-running Ukraine-Russia war has been ongoing and North Korea’s escalating provocations are never tiring. As military tensions rise, so do innovations in military technologies. Failure to keep up with latest trend can lead to a decline in defense capabilities.

From improving defense capabilities to fostering the defense industry

Strengthening the competitiveness of K-defense exports by supporting and fostering defense companies

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (Director Suk Jeong-gun) was launched on January 1, 2006 as a central administrative agency specializing in acquisition by integrating all organizations and functions previously dispersed across eight agencies, including the Ministry of National Defense, the Joint Chiefs of Staff, each military branch, and the Procurement Headquarters, in order to dramatically enhance the transparency, efficiency, and expertise of defense acquisition programs. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration is in charge of conducting defense improvement projects, procuring military supplies, and fostering the defense industry. In particular, it conducts defense improvement projects to develop new or improve the performance of weapon systems required by the military to improve military power, and supplies weapon systems to the military at the right time and under optimal conditions, playing a role in building military power. It engages in the procurement of military supplies, which is responsible for professionally signing and managing contracts after the fact when the Ministry of Defense decides to own a wide range of military goods ranging from weapons such as guns and body armor to clothing. It also reduces the defect rate of military products every year by strengthening quality control activities, and has established the Basic Plan for Defense Industry Development to support and foster defense companies, establish regional strategies to strengthen the competitiveness of defense exports, and actively engage in international cooperation. As part of these activities, in April, Defense Acquisition Program Administration Director Suk Jeong-gun discussed key issues of bilateral defense cooperation with Polish Deputy Minister of Defense Paweł Veyda, Polish Deputy Minister of State Property Marcin Kulacek, and Polish Deputy Director of the National Security Office Dariusz Ukowski, who visited Korea. They toured Korean defense companies and the Agency for Defense Development, and the Administration promoted excellent Korean weapon systems to key Polish figures. As a result, Poland signed a second Chunmoo implementation contract worth approximately 2.2 trillion won with Hanwha Aerospace on April 25. In June, it also attended the Kuala Lumpur defense exhibition in Malaysia and discussed exports of major weapon systems such as the FA-50 light attack aircraft, K-9 self-propelled howitzers, and Chunmoo to Southeast Asia. 

Strengthening priviate-military technology cooperation and expanding the base of defense R&D to leapfrog defense science and technology

Pioneering new areas of business and building a stronger defense industry foundation

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration is establishing policies to reduce barriers to entry and expand the scope of defense R&D, such as revitalizing civil-military technical cooperation, while systematizing related systems for the leapfrog development of defense science and technology. As part of these activities, in July, it signed a contract with LIG Nexon for the Navy’s light torpedo Blue Shark for inspection and maintenance PBL, which will run through 2029. PBL is a form of defense MRO in which a defense contractor provides full military support for the entire operational process of a weapon system. Recently, weapon systems are rapidly becoming more sophisticated and advanced, and the proportion of modularized electronic equipment is increasing, requiring stable parts supply and repair capabilities. Held at the KW Convention in Daejeon from July 2 to July 3, the 2024 Domestic and Foreign System SME Industrial Cooperation and Win-Win Event was organized by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration to bring together defense innovative companies and SMEs with domestic and foreign system companies, the military, and defense-related support organizations to build a foundation for win-win cooperation. The event featured presentations on various defense industries, providing an opportunity for K-defense to take off and for SMEs to grow. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration enacted the ‘Military Aircraft Flight Safety Certification Act’ in 2009 and established a related organization to carry out its duties. In 2026, it enacted ‘Defense Industry Technology Protection Act’ to establish a defense technology protection system. Director Suk Jeong-gun said “We will respond quickly through rapid weapons acquisition systems and rapid application of advanced weapon systems.”