President Lee Attends 'ADEX 2025' on the 20th
"Becoming a Top Four Global Defense Power Is Not an Impossible Dream"
Promises to Lower Entry Barriers for SMEs and Startups
"Anyone with Capability and Technology Will Be Given a Chance in the Defense Industry"
President Lee Jae-myung is delivering a congratulatory speech at the opening ceremony of Seoul ADEX 2025 held at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province on the 20th. Photo by Yonhap News
On the 20th, President Lee Jae-myung announced, "By 2030, we will invest an unprecedented and massive budget in defense research and development (R&D) and aerospace R&D to secure core technologies and weapon systems for the future of national defense, and to build our own independent capabilities for space development."
At the opening ceremony of 'Seoul ADEX 2025' held at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province on this day, President Lee stated, "The government will spare no effort in supporting active civilian participation and leadership in defense reform." He particularly emphasized, "We will focus investment on the development of technologies, components, and materials-such as specialized semiconductors for defense-that must be secured independently, in order to firmly establish technological sovereignty in defense."
ADEX is a biennial international aerospace and defense industry exhibition. This year, over 600 companies from 35 countries are showcasing related technologies and equipment. The event was attended by more than 140 people, including representatives of overseas defense delegations, industry leaders, and heads of government-funded research institutes. Key government and presidential office officials, such as Minister of National Defense Ahn Gyu-baek, National Security Advisor Wi Seong-rak, Chief of Economic Growth Ha Jun-kyung, and Chief of AI Future Planning Ha Jung-woo, were also present.
Regarding the national policy goal of becoming one of the "Top Four Global Defense Powers," President Lee said, "This reflects the government's strong determination to nurture the defense industry, which has emerged and grown with the support of the people, into a core manufacturing sector that the public can trust and rely on." He added, "Becoming one of the top four global defense powers is by no means an impossible dream. The technological capabilities and development speed of the private sector have already reached a world-class level."
President Lee continued, "We will dramatically improve policies and systems to ensure that innovative technologies are rapidly introduced into the industrial field." He promised, "We will significantly expand opportunities for the private sector to propose their technologies and equipment to the military, and introduce a fast-track system so that these can be quickly adopted by the armed forces."
Lee: "Anyone with capability and technology will be given a chance in the defense industry"
President Lee Jae-myung is delivering a congratulatory speech at the opening ceremony of Seoul ADEX 2025 held at KINTEX in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do on the 20th. Photo by Yonhap News
President Lee also pledged, "We will create an ecosystem where companies can grow together," and stated, "We will lower entry barriers so that small and medium-sized enterprises and startups with outstanding technologies can actively participate in the defense and aerospace sectors." His vision is to provide anyone with the necessary capabilities and technology the opportunity to directly participate in South Korea's defense industry.
President Lee remarked, "The reason our country was able to transform from a nation that used surplus foreign weapons to one of the world's top five defense powers and achieve an era of 10 billion dollars in defense exports is because every previous administration has fostered the defense and aerospace industries." He pledged, "Our administration will build on this solid foundation with even bolder investment and support, propelling South Korea to become one of the world's top four defense and aerospace powers."
However, President Lee stressed the need for cooperation between domestic defense companies and the international community in this process. He explained, "We are well aware that this great dream cannot be achieved by our efforts alone. The defense and aerospace industries have clear limitations if they rely solely on domestic demand, and require large-scale capital and technological capabilities. Therefore, solidarity and cooperation with the world are not a choice but a necessity."
He went on to say, "To secure the competitiveness of K-Defense in the global market, we must go beyond simply exporting excellent products and present a new brand value as a security cooperation partner. South Korea will become a reliable partner to our allies by sharing not only world-class weapon systems but also the technology and experience needed to build an industrial base, thus forging strong bonds of trust."
Meanwhile, on the 19th, President Lee dispatched Chief Presidential Secretary Kang Hoon-sik as a 'Special Envoy for Strategic Economic Cooperation' to European countries targeted for defense industry collaboration. Chief Secretary Kang plans to visit Germany, Poland, and other countries where defense exports totaling 56.2 billion dollars (approximately 79 trillion won) are underway, to deliver President Lee's personal letters and reaffirm intentions for cooperation.
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