The Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration reviewed the "Strategy for Localizing Defense Semiconductors and Building an Industrial Ecosystem" as the second agenda item at the 11th Science and Technology Ministers' Meeting on Thursday. [Getty Images]
The Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration reviewed the "Strategy for Localizing Defense Semiconductors and Building an Industrial Ecosystem" as the second agenda item at the 11th Science and Technology Ministers' Meeting on Thursday. [Getty Images]

The government has drawn up a pan-government strategy to accelerate the localization of defense semiconductors and secure a stable supply chain. The plan aims to speed up development based on weapons-system demand and build an industrial ecosystem spanning design through mass production through public-private cooperation.

The Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, and the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said Thursday they reviewed the "Strategy for Localizing Defense Semiconductors and Building an Industrial Ecosystem" as the second agenda item at the 11th Science and Technology Ministers' Meeting.

The move comes as intensifying US-China rivalry and shifting international dynamics have led major countries to treat semiconductors as critical security assets, tightening domestic industry protection and supply chain management.

Against that backdrop, South Korea's defense semiconductor sector has long been relatively weak in domestic supply capacity and core foundational technology, making a stable supply chain and technological self-reliance urgent priorities.

In response, Cheong Wa Dae and DAPA have been laying the institutional groundwork since last October, running a pan-government "Defense Semiconductor Development Task Force" and pushing to enact a "Defense Semiconductor Act," legislation for which was initiated on June 9.

The centerpiece of the strategy is a full-cycle framework linking demand, development, verification and mass production.

The plan first calls for accelerating development on the back of stable government demand, including weapons-system procurement plans. Government-led reliability testing and demonstration will also be used to mandate the adoption of domestically produced chips in weapons systems, creating an initial market.

On the production side, the strategy calls for leveraging existing public and private fabrication facilities to build a foundation, while establishing a public-private joint "co-prosperity fab" to support CMO foundry services and mass-production research and development for defense semiconductors.

The strategy also includes designating and nurturing defense semiconductor companies, training specialized personnel, and stabilizing the supply chain and gradually enhancing technological competitiveness through industry-academia-research and international cooperation networks.

DAPA Commissioner Lee Yong-cheol said a self-sustaining ecosystem for defense semiconductors — a core component of weapons systems — is essential for K-defense industries to take the next leap forward. "We will rapidly integrate the advanced semiconductor capabilities of the private sector into defense, and create a virtuous cycle in which defense research and development outcomes drive growth in the private industry," he said.

He added that the agency would devote all its efforts to building a sustainable, full-cycle defense semiconductor ecosystem spanning design through production, going beyond simply localizing individual components.


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