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Lee Yong-chul, Minister of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, delivers an opening address during the 2nd Defense Industry Day ceremony held at the War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan District, Seoul, on July 8. / Photo courtesy of Yonhap News Agency

The South Korean government mapped out a strategy on July 23 during a joint ministerial meeting to accelerate the localization of defense semiconductors and mandate their integration into weapon systems following government-led reliability testing and verification.

The Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) announced on the same day that the "Strategy for Defense Semiconductor Localization and Industrial Ecosystem Creation" was reviewed during the 11th Ministerial Meeting on Science and Technology to swiftly secure defense semiconductor development and manufacturing capabilities while building a systematic industrial ecosystem. The strategy was deliberated as the second agenda item among six topics discussed during the session.

Amid shifting international dynamics where major powers are intensifying measures to protect domestic semiconductor industries and manage supply chains, South Korea's defense semiconductor sector has faced growing calls to build a stable supply chain and achieve technological self-reliance, given its fragile domestic supply base and reliance on foreign core technologies.

Under the strategy, the government plans to expedite defense semiconductor development based on stable public demand, such as weapon system acquisition plans. It will mandate the application of these chips to weapon systems through government-led reliability testing and verification while leveraging existing public and private fabs to secure a defense semiconductor production base.

The plan also involves establishing joint public-private foundries to support manufacturing and mass-production R&D for foundry-contracted defense semiconductors, alongside designating and nurturing specialized defense semiconductor enterprises and cultivating expert personnel. Additionally, the government aims to enhance supply chain stability and progressively boost technological competitiveness using domestic industry-academia-research networks and international cooperation.

"To enable K-defense—which is earning global market recognition—to take another leap forward, establishing a self-reliant ecosystem for defense semiconductors, a critical component of weapon systems, is essential," said DAPA Minister Lee Yong-chul. "With the announcement of this strategy, we will swiftly integrate superior private-sector advanced semiconductor capabilities into defense, creating a powerful virtuous cycle where defense R&D achievements drive private industrial growth in return."

Minister Lee added, "Going beyond simply localizing individual components, DAPA will devote full efforts to building a sustainable defense semiconductor ecosystem across the entire lifecycle, from design to production."

                                                                                                             Lee Han-sol