The main building of the Agency for Defense Development. [Agency for Defense Development]
The main building of the Agency for Defense Development. [Agency for Defense Development]

The Agency for Defense Development (ADD) held a ceremony Tuesday to mark its 56th anniversary and reflect on its achievements in defense research and development.

Since its founding in 1970, ADD has helped establish South Korea as the world's eighth-ranked nation in defense science and technology. The agency developed key systems driving South Korea's defense exports — including the Cheongung-II air defense missile, the K9 self-propelled howitzer and the K2 main battle tank — as well as more recently completed systems such as the Cheongwang laser air defense weapon and military reconnaissance satellites.

At the ceremony, senior researcher Baek Sang-min, an aircraft scientist, was named recipient of the 11th Uibeom Academic Award.

Baek has spent the past 11 years researching aircraft airframe structures, developing core technologies for unmanned aerial vehicles including radio-wave-absorbing structural technology. His work — encompassing 16 papers published in international academic journals and 45 registered patents — earned him a commendation for contributions to invention promotion from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy minister, the Defense Science Award and the Researcher of the Year award.

"I want to share this honor with the colleagues who wrestled with these challenges alongside me," Baek said, adding that he hoped to "become someone who not only pursues defense science and technology research but also fulfills social responsibilities with a sense of community."

ADD Director Lee Geon-wan said the agency's achievements over the past 56 years were "the result of researchers who quietly dedicated themselves to strengthening national defense and achieving self-reliant defense as its cornerstone." He added that ADD would "continue to challenge itself in developing cutting-edge defense technologies, building on what has been accomplished so far, and contribute to the advancement of future defense science and technology."


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