Ministry of National Defense Republic of Korea

On June 17, Minister of National Defense Lee Jong-sup clarified his desire to provide "proactive support" for expanding defense exports by removing obstacles, stressing that ”the defense industry will be feeding the Republic of Korea (ROK) in the future.”

Lee made the statement at the eighth meeting of defense industry CEOs held at the Army Club on Friday, commenting “I think all of the participants here are key individuals who are feeding the ROK and its people.” Lee also added that President Yoon has "a strong will to nurture the defense industry as a national strategic industry.”

Held with the goal of hearing from the business world in pushing forward with the government project ‘creation of a virtuous circle by building high-tech military strength and expanding defense exports,’ the meeting was attended by about 20 CEOs from conglomerates, small- and medium-sized companies, and associations in the area of the defense industry.

At the meeting, the defense industry CEOs offered a number of suggestions, including △providing attention and support to the main defense export project on a government level, △improving the defense export license system, and △expanding infrastructures for the defense industry to strengthen the competitiveness of defense exports.

On behalf of defense industry companies, Kim Yu-jin, director of the Korea Defense Industry Association, said “the defense industry will be able to develop into a future core industry that leads economic growth if the government and the defense industry companies move toward one goal,” stressing the need to “set forth proactive policies, provide diplomatic and financial support, and promote a multilateral effort between the government and defense industry companies at a time of both upheaval in the economy and security and significant opportunity.”

The ministry said in a statement that it will try its best to provide proactive support to the defense companies by abolishing regulations that have been roadblocks to the invigoration of defense exports so that the defense industry can serve as a pump primer to lead economic growth.

Lee also met with a visiting delegation of members of the American Foreign Policy Council (AFPC), including former senior United States (US)　Pentagon official Dov Zakheim and former US National Security Council (NSC) official Allison Hooker.

The ministry said in a statement that the delegation from AFPC asked about the △ROK’s plan for modernization of national defense power, △specific countermeasures against North Korea’s nuclear and missile capabilities, and △ways to enhance the US’s plans on extended deterrence. In response, Lee explained the consultations in the area of national defense that were agreed upon at the ROK-US Summit held in Seoul in May and the results of the ROK-US defense ministerial talks held on the sidelines of the 19th Asia Security Summit, as well as the ROK government’s stance.

At the meeting, Lee stressed that “North Korea’s series of ballistic missile launches are acts of provocation that very seriously threaten peace on the Korean Peninsula and in the international community, and the ROK and the US are cooperating closely to both deter and respond to North Korea’s provocations.” Lee also added that “the ROK will play a necessary role in the process of the ROK-US partnership being developed into a global comprehensive strategic alliance.”