▲ President Lee Jae Myung (2nd from L) attends a meeting with representatives of defense companies at the presidential office Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on June 26, 2026, to discuss strategies for beefing up the defense industry. (Pool photo) (Yonhap)

Lee-technology

Lee says technology key to nat'l security, calls for fostering innovative firms

SEOUL, June 26 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung on Friday stressed the need for South Korea to foster innovative companies as part of efforts to expand beyond its traditional defense industry.

Lee made the remark during a strategy meeting on fostering innovative firms at Cheong Wa Dae, saying technological superiority is key to national security.

"The modern security environment has shifted into an era in which technology determines victory or defeat," Lee said, stressing that the "battlefield is expanding infinitely beyond land, sea and air" into the domains of artificial intelligence (AI).

Lee added that the survival of a country depends on how many innovative companies with advanced technologies it has.

"South Korea has leapt from a country that could not even make a single rifle and depended on foreign aid into one of the world's top four defense powerhouses, but our defense industry remains heavily concentrated on large corporations and hardware, while the procurement system is slow and rigid," he said.

Lee vowed to support companies with advanced technologies in AI, drones, cybersecurity and aerospace, while highlighting the need to create local companies capable of competing with global leaders, such as U.S. software platform firm Palantir Technologies.

To this end, the government, Lee said, will work to foster five companies in what he called the "new security sector" with a corporate value of 1 trillion won (US$648 million) each by 2030, along with 50 firms with annual sales of more than 100 billion won.

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