Seeking to bolster its strategic partnership, South Korea’s Defense Ministry recently convened a significant industry conference in Washington. The event aimed to explore deeper cooperation with the United States across crucial areas of advanced defense technologies and resilient industrial supply chains.
This landmark conference represented the inaugural **South Korea-US defense and defense industry cooperation** event hosted on U.S. soil, a significant step forward according to the ministry.
Convened by Seoul’s **Vice Defense Minister Lee Doo-hee**, the high-level conference drew approximately 120 key officials and industry experts. Notable attendees included Michael Vaccaro, acting principal deputy assistant secretary at the US State Department, and South Korean Ambassador to the US, Kang Kyung-wha, highlighting the importance of this bilateral engagement.
Discussions at the event delved into practical avenues for **defense industrial cooperation**, encompassing vital sectors such as shipbuilding, as well as comprehensive maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services. Furthermore, attendees explored cutting-edge fields like **artificial intelligence (AI)** and **manned-unmanned teaming**, reflecting a forward-looking approach to defense innovation.
The inaugural session, themed ‘Defense Industry Cooperation as a Pillar of the **South Korea-US Alliance**,’ strategically focused on tangible ways to expand bilateral collaboration, particularly in shipbuilding and **MRO**.
Following this, the second session pivoted to deepening engagement in transformative **advanced technologies**, including **AI** and **crewed-uncrewed teaming**, crucial for both allies to effectively adapt to evolving future battlefield scenarios.
Attendees also underscored the imperative to broaden bilateral **defense industry cooperation** through key initiatives such as the **joint development of advanced weapons systems**, facilitating overseas market entry for defense products, and strengthening **supply chain collaboration**, according to the ministry’s report.
**Vice Defense Minister Lee Doo-hee** articulated, “This conference provided an invaluable platform for dialogue, significantly reinforcing the **South Korea-US alliance** and our burgeoning **defense industry cooperation**. Our alliance is poised to transcend traditional security cooperation, evolving into a robust strategic partnership that jointly cultivates technological innovation and a shared industrial base.”
Prior to the main conference, Minister Lee engaged with **South Korean defense companies** actively operating within the U.S. market on Monday.
This crucial preparatory meeting, organized in collaboration with the **Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA)**, served to gather direct feedback and specific requests from these firms. Minister Lee affirmed the government’s commitment to swift action and robust support for their endeavors, the ministry stated.
Looking forward, the ministry conveyed its intention to regularly host such conferences, thereby establishing a strong foundation for expanding **defense cooperation** with key international partners.
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