Defense chief calls for cooperation among defense firms to boost arms exports

▲ Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back (C) presides over a meeting of defense firm executives in Seoul on Jan. 23, 2026, in this photo provided by the defense ministry. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

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Defense chief calls for cooperation among defense firms to boost arms exports

SEOUL, Jan. 23 (Yonhap) -- Defense Minister Ahn Gyu-back on Friday met with the chief executives of defense companies and urged close industrywide cooperation to help boost arms exports, the ministry said.

Some 30 officials, including company executives and defense officials, took part in the meeting, which marked the first such gathering between the minister and defense firm officials this year, according to the ministry.

In the meeting, Ahn pledged an array of support for defense firms, ranging from financial and technological support to consultancy.

The meeting came as South Korea aims to become the world's fourth-largest defense exporter by 2030 to account for 6 percent of the global market. Last year, the country's arms exports exceeded US$15 billion, snapping two straight years of decline.

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