Latest news with #DAPA
Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
S. Korea to launch advisory committee for arms exports
South Korea is preparing to launch an advisory committee under the state arms procurement agency, consisting mostly of non-governmental experts, to boost its defense technology exports, sources close to the matter said Wednesday. The Defense Acquisition Program Administration recently came up with the plan and is "preparing to launch the committee,' a DAPA official told The Korea Herald via phone. 'The review and nomination of candidates will kick off in September.' The committee will consist of 15 members who are considered experts in arms exports. Each member will serve for two years and may be nominated for an additional two-year term. The committee members will be tasked with drafting strategies for the country's arms exports by cooperating with various teams within DAPA currently handling outbound shipments to continents including Europe, Africa, the Middle East, North America and more. The latest plan follows President Lee Jae Myung's campaign pledge to buoy the defense industry, making it one of the country's top four future sectors alongside semiconductor, secondary batteries and automobile. As part of his pledge, Lee said he plans to regularly preside over defense export promotion and strategy meetings, which usually involve Army officials from the Office of National Security. South Korea would become one of the world's top four arms exporters, Lee said. South Korea's arms exports fell to $9.5 billion last year after hitting a record high of $17.3 billion in 2022 and sliding to $13.5 billion in 2023. Separate government sources said last week that South Korea is likely to sign a deal worth some $6 billion to export additional K2 tanks to Poland later this month. If materialized, it would be Seoul's biggest single arms export contract to date. Under the deal set to be signed in late June, Poland would receive 180 K2 tanks, of which 117 units will be produced by South Korean defense contractor Hyundai Rotem Co. The rest will be manufactured locally by Warsaw's state-owned PGZ.
Korea Herald
3 days ago
- Business
- Korea Herald
Korean shipbuilding rivals unite for Poland's W8tr submarine bid
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean, maritime-to-defense competitors, are forming an alliance to win Poland's 8 trillion won ($5.8 billion) worth submarine bid, aiming to resolve their decades-long rivalry to boost global exports. According to industry sources Wednesday, the two companies are seeking to land Poland's Orka Project by presenting themselves as a South Korean consortium, marking their first partnership in pursuing a large-scale export contract. The project includes construction and maintenance, repair and operations (MRO) of three 3,600 metric ton submarines for the Polish Navy. While project details remain undisclosed, industry insiders anticipate that Poland will select a preferred bidder by the second quarter and make a final decision by September. Although HD Hyundai and Hanwha had already submitted separate proposals in November 2023 before allying this year, industry insiders suggest that the Polish government might view their unified effort, which combines the strengths of both companies, as enhancing technological competitiveness. 'HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hanwha had proposed 2,300-ton and 3,000-ton vessels, respectively, to Poland. This dual approach can address the various needs of the Polish government, increasing the likelihood of Korea securing the contract on a national level,' said a source on condition of anonymity. In February, HD Hyundai and Hanwha signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a joint team with the state-run Defense Acquisition Program Administration for ship export projects. Under this agreement, HD Hyundai will lead surface ship export initiatives, while Hanwha will focus on submarine exports, with each company supporting the other. In the following month, they submitted a proposal to secure a 20 billion won Canadian submarine project. The rival shipyards' belated partnership comes after Korea's unsuccessful bid for Australia's new frigate project last year. HD Hyundai and Hanwha pursued the project separately, only to lose to unified teams from Japan and Germany. DAPA reportedly mediated the ongoing feud between the two companies over the 8 trillion won next-generation Korean destroyer (KDDX) bid, urging collaboration to increase their chances of landing global export bids. Despite the Korean government's efforts, the shipbuilders maintain their competitive standoff on the Korean Navy's advanced warship development project. HD Hyundai, the primary contractor selected by DAPA for the basic design of the KDDX in 2020, faced a setback when Hanwha filed a police complaint in March, alleging that HD Hyundai executives were involved in leaking Hanwha's confidential materials related to the KDDX bid. In November, Hanwha withdrew the complaint, citing 'mutual support and cooperation' for the country's shipbuilding industry. However, the company did not retract its application for the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's KDDX contractor designation process this year. While DAPA oversees the project, the industry ministry is in charge of officially designating the contractor. DAPA postponed the selection process multiple times, from April until after the presidential election. 'Although collaborating as a joint team for global exports is a reasonable strategy for both companies, with growing maritime security threats from North Korea, it is vital for the government to prioritize the rapid deployment of advanced warships like the KDDX,' the source said. 'The industry calls for swift and decisive action to achieve the fastest possible operations of those ships.'
SBS Australia
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- SBS Australia
Supporting both people with autism and the society, inclusive art exhibition at NSW Parliament House
Artist Bowman Yu (right) with his father DAPA's Vincent Yu at DAPA Inclusive Art Exhibition 2025 at the NSW Parliament House. Credit: SBS Listen to SBS Japanese Audio on Tue, Thu and Fri from 1pm on SBS 3. Replays from 10pm on Tue, Thu and Sat on SBS1. Listen to past stories from our podcast. Download the free SBS Audio App and don't forget to visit SBS Japanese Facebook and Instagram page!
The Star
13-06-2025
- Business
- The Star
South Korea agrees to cut Indonesia share in fighter jet project
JAKARTA/SEOUL (Bloomberg): Indonesian and South Korean officials have signed a revised deal that significantly lowers Jakarta's financial commitment to the joint KF-21 fighter jet program, a move aimed at reviving long-stalled progress on the multibillion-dollar project. South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration said Friday that the new deal reflects a resolution made last year to revise Indonesia's share of the development costs. In August, DAPA had said Indonesia would contribute 600 billion won to the project, equivalent to about US$438.4 million, marking a drop from 1.6 trillion won originally pledged. DAPA said Indonesia's defense ministry had begun administrative procedures to fulfill the revised payment, a step it said it expects will reinvigorate defense ties between the countries. It added that both sides also agreed to expand cooperation beyond fighter jets to include ground and maritime systems. Indonesia's defense ministry declined to immediately comment. The new deal comes years after defense officials from Southeast Asia's largest economy agreed to contribute roughly 20% of the more than 8 trillion won project as it sought to upgrade aging military fleets. The KF-21 Boramae, developed by Korea Aerospace Industries, is intended to replace South Korea's fleet of F-4 and F-5 fighter jets. Indonesia is working on a localized variant known as IF-X, with state-owned Dirgantara Indonesia involved in assembly, maintenance, and production planning. Progress for the KF-21 program, aimed at producing a next-generation supersonic aircraft, was marred by funding disputes and other problems. Indonesia has been pursuing upgrades of its fleet of fighter jets on several fronts, including in an active contract with France's Dassault Aviation SA for 42 Rafale jets, signed in 2022 with an estimated value of $8.1 billion. Last week, Indonesian defense officials said they were in the early stages of evaluating an offer for China's J-10 fighters. This week, Turkey's president announced a deal to sell Jakarta 48 of its KAAN fighter jets currently under development. DAPA Director Seok Jong-gun, among the South Korean officials in Indonesia this week, said his visit marked a return to normal for defense ties between Seoul and Jakarta, moving on from what he described as a period of strain due to technical issues. -- ©2025 Bloomberg L.P.
Bloomberg
13-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
South Korea Agrees to Cut Indonesia Share in Fighter Jet Project
Indonesian and South Korean officials have signed a revised deal that significantly lowers Jakarta's financial commitment to the joint KF-21 fighter jet program, a move aimed at reviving long-stalled progress on the multibillion-dollar project. South Korea's Defense Acquisition Program Administration said Friday that the new deal reflects a resolution made last year to revise Indonesia's share of the development costs. In August, DAPA had said Indonesia would contribute 600 billion won to the project, equivalent to about $438.4 million, marking a drop from 1.6 trillion won originally pledged.
