Daejeon Accelerates Leap as a Defense Industry Hub
K-Defense Capital Vision Driven by Drone Cluster Success
Local Companies Thrive with Innovation, Investment, and R&D Collaboration
Lee Jangwoo, Mayor of Daejeon, stated, "Once the relocation of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) is completed with the construction of the new Daejeon office in 2028, we expect an economic impact as Daejeon will manage an annual national defense procurement budget of 18 trillion won." He added, "Based on Daejeon's outstanding defense companies and advanced science and technology infrastructure, we will establish Daejeon as the undisputed 'capital of K-defense'."
As Daejeon City accelerates its leap toward becoming a 'defense industry-centered city' by leveraging the relocation of DAPA and the achievements of the drone-specialized defense innovation cluster project, it has focused on fostering the local defense industry ecosystem since being selected as a drone-specialized defense innovation cluster in 2022.
In particular, following the temporary relocation of DAPA to Wolpyeong-dong, Seo-gu, Daejeon in 2023, the city is emerging as a defense industry hub closely linked with the nation's top-tier science and technology infrastructure, including Daedeok Innopolis, the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), and KAIST.
Through the drone-specialized defense innovation cluster, which is being implemented over five years until 2026, Daejeon City is establishing a comprehensive support system worth a total of 49 billion won. This includes the establishment and operation of a defense-specialized development research institute, support for the commercialization of defense and drone technologies, the construction of testing equipment, and support for new market entry and startups in the defense sector, thereby actively nurturing local defense companies.
Since the start of the 8th popularly elected administration, the number of companies participating in the Defense Venture Center has doubled to 144, and 19 local companies have been selected for DAPA's "100 Defense Innovation Companies," securing 95 billion won in national funding.
In addition, tangible results have been achieved, including a 48.4 billion won increase in corporate sales, the creation of 609 new jobs, 77.5 billion won in investment attraction, and 221 patents and certifications.
Furthermore, in June, a local company participating in joint R&D with KAIST signed a 7.3 billion won investment agreement with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), and achievements are spreading as companies participate in military requirements launch-type attack drone combat experiments through R&D support projects.
To establish an advanced defense science city, the city is promoting the construction of the "Ansan Advanced Defense Industrial Complex," covering approximately 480,000 pyeong, with groundbreaking scheduled for 2026 and sales set for 2027. In addition, to achieve self-reliance in defense semiconductors, the "Defense Semiconductor Center" will be launched to systematize weapon system testing and reliability certification procedures.
Alongside these efforts, the city is pursuing ecosystem activation projects for the defense industry, support for the growth of K-core component companies, training of defense professionals, and the establishment of Daejeon Investment Finance, providing full-cycle support. By 2026, the "Daejeon Robot Drone Support Center" will be completed and operated as an integrated platform supporting testing, demonstration, business, and networking.
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