Gyeongnam Governor Park Wan-su Proposes National Support for Defense Industry to Prime Minister Han Duck-soo

Visit to Hanwha Aerospace Achieving $17.3 Billion in Exports

Park Wan-su, Governor of Gyeongnam Province, visited Changwon Hanwha Aerospace on the 15th together with Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.

According to Gyeongnam Province, Hanwha Aerospace achieved a record-high defense industry export performance of $17.3 billion last year.

After attending the March 15th Independence Movement commemoration ceremony, Prime Minister Han visited the company site to encourage company officials and workers.

Present at the site were Governor Park, Shin Beom-cheol, Vice Minister of National Defense, Kang Hwan-seok, Deputy Administrator of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, Hong Nam-pyo, Mayor of Changwon Special City, and Son Jae-il, CEO of Hanwha Aerospace.

Governor Park Wansu of Gyeongnam Province (left) is shaking hands with Prime Minister Han Deoksoo.
[Photo by Gyeongnam Provincial Government]

Governor Park and Prime Minister Han received briefings from company officials on the current status and expansion plans of Hanwha Aerospace’s export business.

They then discussed the necessity of domestic production of advanced aircraft engines and matters related to the Defense Acquisition Program Act, and also toured outdoor exhibition equipment such as the K9 self-propelled howitzer and K10 ammunition carrier.

Governor Park requested Prime Minister Han to reflect next year’s budget related to the establishment of the Defense Parts Research Institute to increase the domestic production rate of key defense components such as advanced aircraft engines.

Referring to the Gyeongnam Defense Industry Export Strategy Meeting held on the 6th, he emphasized, “As a result of collecting opinions from local companies, government-level support is essential to strengthen the export competitiveness of the defense industry.”

He added, “The province will also actively support and back the Republic of Korea’s leap to becoming one of the world’s top four defense exporters.”