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President Lee Jae-myung speaks during a defense industry development forum at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on October 20. / Source: Yonhap News

President Lee Jae-myung on Monday emphasized the need for South Korea to achieve self-reliant defense capabilities, saying he found it “hard to accept” that some citizens still believe the nation must depend on others for its security.

“I find it difficult to understand that there are still some people in our country who think we cannot ensure national defense on our own and must rely on others,” Lee said during opening remarks at a defense industry development forum held at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.

He continued, “We must help people believe that our national defense is something we can and must handle ourselves — and that with a few improvements, we are already capable of doing so more than adequately.”

Lee stressed that the development of the defense industry carries “two crucial meanings”: strengthening national self-defense and advancing cutting-edge technologies. “Developing the defense industry is not just about building better weapons,” he said. “We must maximize localization, expand and diversify markets, and transform it into a globally competitive industry. It should also serve as a key catalyst for private-sector innovation in advanced technology.”

The president said the government plans to “significantly increase” defense spending, highlighting the importance of government support and investment. “The biggest priority is to provide large-scale support for research and development (R&D),” he said. “Another key issue is ensuring that when Korean companies seek to export weapons, they can confidently say, ‘Yes, our military already uses this system.’ Without domestic deployment, exports will struggle.”

Lee underscored the importance of deploying domestically produced weapons within Korea’s own armed forces, saying, “Localization is important, but applying those homegrown systems in our own defense operations is even more critical.”

He also cautioned against monopolization in the industry. “We must create an ecosystem that allows fair participation and opportunities for all qualified players,” he said. “We may even need to provide more support to startups and small- to medium-sized companies, as larger firms with established interests have already received substantial benefits from the government. From a fairness standpoint, we must nurture new entrants.”