President Lee: “Defense industry, future food source… AI and unmanned robot weapon system development”
The president said on the occasion of the first Defense Industry Day, “I hope that the defense industry will advance and become one of the future food industries of the Republic of Korea.”
President Lee made this statement while attending the discussion on “Finding the Path of the Future of K-Defense Industry” held at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Seoul on the afternoon of the 8th.
President Lee said, “The Republic of Korea is a divided nation, is still at war, and is a dangerous country with a high military density in the world,” and added, “The defense industry is an industry for protecting the security of the Republic of Korea, and has grown centered on domestic demand so far.”
He emphasized, “Now that our capabilities have been recognized, we have become a country that exports weapons systems to the entire world,” and “I hope that this trend will continue so that the defense industry can not only strengthen the security of the Republic of Korea but also become one of the future food industries.”
President Lee stated, “The government will make more efforts in the future to invest and support so that we can advance as a global defense industry powerhouse.”
President Lee also mentioned areas for improvement in the defense industry.
President Lee said, “I think we need to strengthen the competitiveness of K-defense products in line with the changing security environment,” and suggested, “We need to develop and advance competitive weapons systems such as AI and unmanned robots in a battlefield that is changing at the speed of light.”
He continued, “There are some who point out that the defense industry is currently centered on a few large corporations, but we need to build a defense industry ecosystem in which many people and many companies can participate regardless of their size.”
He also said, “Government-to-government cooperation will play a very important role in the defense industry export sector,” and added, “We will do our best to ensure that security cooperation is carried out well at the government level so that defense industry workers and companies can have more opportunities.” He added, “The government will make efforts to improve product competitiveness through the development of cutting-edge weapon systems such as artificial intelligence and unmanned robots, and to create a healthy industrial ecosystem in which various companies, including small and medium-sized enterprises, participate so that defense industry exports can expand.”
Meanwhile, Spokesperson Kang Yoo-jung introduced the main statements made during the closed-door discussion that day.
According to Spokesperson Kang, the participants unanimously emphasized the importance of AI technology. They also pointed out the difficulties of securing technological capabilities, building infrastructure, and accessing defense data, and in particular, expressed the opinion that the establishment of an integrated defense data management system is urgent.
Another participant mentioned that the revision of the Defense Industry Development Act was implemented on that day and said that a change in perception was needed from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration to the Defense Industry Administration.
AI startup representatives suggested a consortium-type participation structure rather than startups competing directly with large corporations, and the president responded that since the defense industry is a field that requires creative and flexible thinking, opportunities should be given to small and medium-sized enterprises and venture companies.
President Lee mentioned that he had already instructed the State Council to establish a defense industry export control tower, and emphasized that the government would do its best to transform the ecosystem and expand international cooperation between the public and private sectors, as the defense industry is an important industry that is responsible for both security and people’s livelihood.
[Editor Lee]
