By Byun Moo-keun
Commissioner of Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA)
The defense industry is a national security asset that assures the sovereignty of our nation from external threats. The ability to produce needed weapon systems with our own technology is important, not just for fostering the domestic defense industry but for creating jobs.
The history of the Korean defense industry dates back to the 1970s, when the government realized the importance of self-reliant national defense. The Beongae Program, which procured its materials from the Cheongyecheon scrap market, began in 1971.