Ministry of Trade Industry and Resources

The Ministry of National Defense (MND, Minister Ahn Gyu-baek) held the inaugural 2025 Defense AI Ecosystem Development Forum at the Grand Hyatt Seoul on Wednesday, December 3. The event was designed to strengthen government-wide governance for cooperation on defense AI and to build momentum for major defense AI programs planned for 2026, bringing together senior government officials and about 500 representatives from AI-related private companies.

The program featured sessions on Korea’s defense AX strategy, mid- to long-term plans for defense–ICT cooperation, MOTIR’s defense AX strategy and support initiatives, support programs for defense-innovation startups, and briefings on defense AI requirements for 2026. Participants discussed future directions and challenges for defense AI and developed a shared understanding of areas for practical cooperation.

During the forum, the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT, Minister Bae Kyung-hoon), the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources (MOTIR, Minister Kim Jung-kwan), and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups (MSS, Minister Han Seong-sook) joined MND in announcing the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to accelerate AI transformation (AX) across the defense and industrial sectors.

Under the MOU, the ministries will leverage sovereign AI foundation models to cooperate on AX innovation; identify defense AI needs; provide testbed opportunities for real-world validation; support access to defense R&D infrastructure; develop core AI technologies and related infrastructure; expand cross-sector utilization in defense, industry, and the public sector; foster AI talent; broaden the application of defense and manufacturing AI technologies within national defense; and discover and scale startups and SMEs in the defense AX domain.

As global security conditions evolve amid the rapid adoption of AI—including intelligent command-and-control, unmanned and autonomous systems, and automated defense operations—the agreement brings together the expertise of MSIT, MOTIR, and MSS to promote cohesive and interconnected AX policies across the defense and industrial sectors.

The agreement establishes a full AX collaboration pipeline among government agencies, from securing core AX technologies and enabling real-world validation in the defense sector to supporting industrial deployment and adoption by startups and SMEs. These efforts are expected to accelerate AX across defense and industry, strengthen defense-industry competitiveness, and support the development of a more advanced and trusted defense force.

Minister Kim Jung-kwan of MOTIR stated, “In an era where advanced technologies such as AI shape both security and economic competitiveness, expanding AX in the defense sector is no longer optional but essential. Building on the strong trilateral foundation of AI, manufacturing, and defense, MOTIR will identify demand for dual-use AI technologies through M.AX (Manufacturing AX) and provide targeted support. Beginning next year, we will advance the AX Sprint Program to help create an AX market in the defense industry, and we will work closely with the military to strengthen real-world validation for AI-embodied next-generation weapons. Through these efforts, MOTIR will actively support the establishment of a robust defense AI ecosystem.”