Chief Secretary Kang Hoonshik Appointed as Special Envoy; Europe Visit Scheduled Next Week
Comprehensive Support Measures for Security and Economic Cooperation to Be Discussed with Defense Export Partners
Three Special Envoy Missions Planned Through the First Half of Next Year
President Lee Jaemyung has appointed Chief Secretary Kang Hoonshik as the President's Special Envoy for Strategic Economic Cooperation to fulfill the national agenda of achieving "K-Defense as one of the world's top four defense powerhouses." The plan is to ensure responsible discussions on comprehensive support measures, including security and economic cooperation, with countries targeted for defense exports.
On the 17th, Presidential Office Spokesperson Kang Yujeong explained in a written briefing, "Chief Secretary Kang will begin his duties as the President's Special Envoy for Strategic Economic Cooperation by delivering a personal letter from the President to target countries for defense cooperation in Europe next week. He is scheduled to carry out this special envoy mission three times through the first half of next year."
Previously, the success of defense export projects was largely determined by the individual capabilities of defense companies rather than intergovernmental cooperation. However, in recent years, the rapid expansion of large-scale defense projects in North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia has made broad government support across economic sectors-including financial assistance, industrial cooperation, and collaboration with defense startups-a crucial driving force for export success, extending beyond just defense and security considerations.
The Lee Jaemyung administration has established a "defense industry control tower" encompassing the entire Presidential Office and has been implementing strategies for the development of the defense industry, including export support measures, in pursuit of its national agenda to become one of the world's top four defense powers.
Spokesperson Kang stated, "The total scale of planned defense product procurements with the countries that Special Envoy Kang is scheduled to visit currently amounts to 56.2 billion dollars (approximately 79 trillion won). While it is difficult to disclose the specific countries due to the sensitivity of ongoing negotiations and relationships with defense export partners, the selection of contractors for large-scale defense weapon acquisition projects between Korea and these countries is imminent, which is why the visits are being expedited."
Going forward, the government will continue to support defense exports by tailoring its efforts to the characteristics of each target country and the stage of each project, while also maintaining step-by-step cooperation from working-level officials to the highest leadership.
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