The Democratic Party of Korea said it would pursue legislation and budget support to strengthen the competitiveness of the country's defense industry, including backing for advanced technology research and development and export expansion.
"The superior technological capability of K-defense has now been proven to the world," Kim Min-seok, leader of the Democratic Party, said at the inaugural meeting of the Special Committee on K-Defense Industry Support held at the National Assembly on the 23rd. "We will actively pursue legislation and budget support for advanced technology R&D, infrastructure investment, order expansion and market development."
Citing the K2 tank, the K9 self-propelled howitzer and the KF-21 fighter jet, Kim said Korean weapons systems were becoming a brand that draws global attention. He also pointed to the fifth flight of the Nuri space launch vehicle on the 7th of this month and the successful test launch of a hypersonic missile on the 8th as evidence of technological competitiveness. "The development of the defense industry carries great significance in that it goes beyond a matter of profit to become central to global security," he said.
The committee, launched the same day, will discuss ways to strengthen defense export competitiveness and improve related systems under the leadership of Chairman Kim Byung-joo.
Lee Yong-chul, commissioner of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, who attended the ceremony, said next year's defense acquisition budget had been set at 22.7 trillion won and requested an increase. "I hope it can be filled out to 23 trillion won," he said. He also called for passage within this year of a bill to establish the Defense Technology Promotion Institute as an independent corporation.