Civil-Military Collaboration Set to Boost Korea’s Drone Industry
- KASA and DAPA Hold Joint Collaboration Meeting -
On January 22, the Korea AeroSpace Administration (KASA, Administrator Yoon Youngbin) and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA, Administrator Seok, Jong-gun) held their first high-level collaboration meeting at the KASA headquarters in Sacheon, Gyeongsangnam-do. The meeting was co-chaired by KASA’s Director-General for Aeronautics Innovation Mission Directorate and DAPA’s Director-General for Advanced Technology Program Department.
This inaugural director-general-level meeting brought together the two government bodies―each overseeing the civilian and defense drone sectors, respectively―to identify potential areas of cooperation in the drone industry and discuss the direction of future joint efforts. Both agencies agreed to actively pursue collaboration to build a self-reliant domestic drone ecosystem and enhance global competitiveness.
As a first step, KASA and DAPA agreed to work together to establish standardized frameworks for dual-use (civil-military) drones. Based on these standards, they will jointly conduct planning studies and R&D projects to advance high-performance drone technologies, in close consultation.
Kim Tae-gon, Director-General of DAPA’s Advanced Technology Program Department, emphasized, “In modern warfare, such as the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict, the military effectiveness of drones has been clearly demonstrated. Developing a self-sustaining drone industry ecosystem is crucial to national security. Through collaboration between our agencies, we aim to elevate Korea’s drone capabilities and create a virtuous cycle where industrial innovation directly contributes to strengthening defense capabilities.”
Kim Hyun-dae, Director-General for Aeronautics Innovation Mission Directorate at KASA, added, “Through this partnership, we plan to develop key technologies and future drone system capabilities that can be jointly used in both civilian and military sectors. We will establish an interagency cooperation system to build a globally competitive domestic drone industry, promote an independent industrial ecosystem, and set out a national standard for K-Drones along with a unified policy and technology roadmap.”
The two agencies also agreed to institutionalize their collaboration through regular meetings, ensuring the faithful implementation and continued follow-up on the outcomes of this meeting.