Lee Attends Defense Industry Exhibition on the 20th
"Building Independent Capabilities Through Massive Budget Investment"
Emphasizes Independent National Defense at Subsequent Forum
"We Must Foster the Belief That We Can Do It Ourselves"
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President Lee Jae-myung is speaking at the Defense Industry Development Forum held on the 20th at Kintex in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi-do. Photo by Yonhap News
On the 20th, President Lee Jae-myung attended a defense industry exhibition and announced plans to establish independent capabilities through a massive budget investment. At the forum following the opening ceremony, he stated, "It is hard to understand that there are citizens who believe we must rely on others for our national defense," emphasizing, "We must help people believe that we can do it ourselves." This is interpreted as his intention to use the defense industry as leverage to strengthen South Korea's military power and achieve self-reliant national defense.
At the opening ceremony of "Seoul ADEX 2025" held at Kintex in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, President Lee said, "By 2030, we will invest an unprecedentedly large 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 capabilities for independent space development."
President Lee further stressed, "In particular, we will focus investments on developing technologies, components, and materials that must be secured independently in the defense sector, such as specialized semiconductors, to firmly establish sovereignty over defense technologies."
Lee: "We must help people believe we can handle our own defense"
President Lee Jae-myung is clapping with attendees at the opening ceremony of Seoul ADEX 2025 held on the 20th at Kintex in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Yonhap News
ADEX is an international aerospace and defense industry exhibition held every two years. This year, more than 600 companies from 35 countries are showcasing related technologies and equipment. The event was attended by over 140 people, including representatives from overseas defense delegations, industry leaders, and government-funded research institutes. Minister of National Defense Ahn Gyu-baek, National Security Office Director Wi Sung-rak, Chief of Economic Growth Ha Jun-kyung, Chief of AI Future Planning Ha Jung-woo, as well as other government and presidential office officials, were also present.
After touring the exhibition hall following the opening ceremony, President Lee attended a forum on defense industry development, where he clearly expressed his commitment to self-reliant national defense. During his opening remarks, he pointed out, "Even under the current circumstances, it is hard to accept that there are still some citizens who think we cannot achieve self-reliant national defense and must rely on others."
He continued, "We must help people think, 'We must handle our own defense,' 'We can do it,' and 'Even now, with just a few improvements, we can more than achieve it.' While various measures are needed, the core foundation is still the development of the defense industry."
President Lee also said, "When we try to export abroad, people ask if we use those products in our own country. We must be able to say, 'Yes, we use them well.' That is why localization is important, and I believe it is crucial for our national defense to actually adopt these localized weapon systems."
Lee: "Anyone with capability should have a chance in defense industry; monopolies are undesirable"
President Lee Jae-myung salutes the national flag at the Defense Industry Development Forum held on the 20th at Kintex in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Yonhap News
President Lee also pledged to lower entry barriers in the defense sector. In his opening address, he said, "We will create an ecosystem where companies grow together," and added, "We will lower entry barriers so that small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and startups with excellent technologies can actively participate in the defense and aerospace sectors." His vision is to allow anyone with the necessary capabilities and technologies to directly participate in South Korea's defense industry.
At the forum, President Lee also stated, "It would be problematic if the defense sector becomes monopolized. We need to build a robust ecosystem." He continued, "Whether it is a startup or an SME, if they have the technology, capability, and determination, they should be able to compete equally. From the perspective of fairness, I believe we need to nurture many new players."
President Lee said, "The reason our country was able to transition from using surplus foreign weapons to becoming one of the world's top five defense powers and achieving 10 billion dollars in defense exports is that every previous administration has fostered the defense and aerospace industries." He pledged, "Our administration will build on this solid foundation with even bolder investments and support to elevate South Korea to one of the world's top four defense and aerospace powers."
However, President Lee also emphasized the need for cooperation between domestic defense companies and the international community during this process. He explained, "We know well that this great dream cannot be achieved by our efforts alone. The defense and aerospace industries have clear limitations if reliant only on domestic demand and require large-scale capital and technological capability. Therefore, solidarity and cooperation with the world are not optional but essential."
He added, "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 not only provide partner countries with world-class weapon systems but also share the technology and experience necessary to build industrial infrastructure, becoming a reliable partner based on solid trust."
Lee: "Our defense technology is already world-class; fast-track system to be introduced"
Kang Hoon-sik, Chief of Staff to the President, and Kwak Tae-shin, Defense Secretary of the Presidential Office, along with the Strategic Economic Cooperation Special Envoy Group, are departing for Frankfurt, Germany through Terminal 1 of Incheon International Airport on the 19th. Photo by Yonhap News Agency
Regarding the national agenda of becoming a "top four global defense industry power," President Lee said, "This reflects the government's strong determination to foster 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. Becoming one of the top four defense industry powers is by no means an impossible dream. The technological capabilities and pace of development in the private sector have already reached a world-class level."
He promised, "We will dramatically improve policies and systems so that innovative technologies can be rapidly introduced into the industrial field. We will significantly expand opportunities for the private sector to propose technologies and equipment to the military, and to ensure swift adoption, we will introduce a fast-track system for the defense industry."
According to Presidential Office spokesperson Kim Nam-jun, during a closed-door discussion that followed, President Lee instructed officials to review whether advanced defense technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) surveillance and reconnaissance equipment could be used for wildfire prevention and suppression. President Lee told defense industry representatives, "Just as defense weapons are equipped with precision strike technology, we can also improve the probability of pinpoint strikes in wildfire suppression. If this technology is developed, the government will actively adopt it." President Lee also instructed the establishment of measures for equipment localization in fields such as semiconductors, and discussed with participants the need to secure "sovereign AI semiconductors" to achieve AI sovereignty.
President Lee also called for efforts to promote mutual growth between large corporations, SMEs, and startups. He said, "Since tax money is invested in the defense sector, companies must focus on sustaining the industrial ecosystem," and warned, "If large corporations abuse their position, such as by excessively cutting costs, the Fair Trade Commission will be strengthened and severe penalties will be imposed."
Before the forum, President Lee visited an exhibition booth, where a company representative mentioned that when pioneering overseas markets for defense products, they are often asked, "How widely is this product used by the Korean military?" President Lee cited this comment in his opening remarks at the forum and emphasized, "We must actually apply localized weapon systems to our national defense." After the forum, spokesperson Kim reported that President Lee visited a nearby market, had lunch with merchants at a restaurant serving osori gukbap (beef and offal soup), inquired about recent business conditions, and purchased honey rice cakes and injeolmi at a rice cake shop.
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