South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT has launched technology exchanges among industry, academia, research institutes and the military to expand the use of private-sector advanced technology in defense.

The ministry, together with the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST), held the 4th Future Defense Technology Exchange on Wednesday at the Peace & Park Convention in Seoul.

The Future Defense Technology Exchange has been held annually since 2023. This year's event was attended by about 300 people, including Park In-kyu (박인규), head of the Science and Technology Innovation Office at the ministry, officials from related agencies such as the Ministry of National Defense, the Defense Agency for Technology and Quality, and the Defense Technology Promotion Research Institute, as well as experts from industry, academia and research institutes.

In the first session, the ministry announced a plan for allocating and adjusting the defense research and development (R&D) budget based on the 2027 government budget proposal approved at a cabinet meeting in September. Hanwha Aerospace shared cases of applying private-sector technologies in defense and successful overseas export cases. The KIST National Technology Strategy Center for Future Defense introduced defense R&D investment strategies and policy planning directions aimed at securing an advantage in future battlefields.

In the second session, eight private-sector advanced technologies that can be used in defense were presented under the theme of "connecting private advanced technology and defense." Participants reviewed each technology's potential military use and discussed plans for demonstrations and adoption in actual defense settings.

Park said it is important to closely connect R&D outcomes with the military's needs to effectively use private-sector advanced science and technology in defense. He added the ministry will continue to support civilian-military technology cooperation so it leads to practical defense use and stronger industrial competitiveness.