The Center of Defense Industry is Changwon... Changwon Special City Continues K-Defense Exports to Poland

For Regional Defense Industry Co-Growth, 'City, System Companies, and SMEs' Join Hands for Win-Win Cooperation

Changwon Special City in Gyeongnam signed a business agreement for 'Mutual Cooperation of Local Defense Industry Companies' with Hanwha Defense, Hyundai Rotem, Changwon Defense Industry Small and Medium Business Association, and Changwon Industry Promotion Agency.

[Asia Economy Yeongnam Reporting Headquarters, Reporter Song Jong-gu] Changwon Special City in Gyeongnam is emerging as a city of defense industry.

On the 26th at 11 a.m., Changwon Special City signed a business agreement for ‘Mutual Cooperation of Local Defense Companies’ with Hanwha Defense, Hyundai Rotem, Changwon Defense Industry Small and Medium Business Association, and Changwon Industry Promotion Agency in the city hall’s 3rd conference room.

This agreement was prepared to continue the momentum of K-Defense, which has recently signed the largest export contract with Poland, through mutual cooperation among local defense companies in Changwon, as the importance of national security and defense industry is rising worldwide due to the Russia-Ukraine war.

Attendees at the signing ceremony included Hong Nam-pyo, Mayor of Changwon Special City; Choi Dong-bin, Head of Hanwha Defense Changwon 1 Plant; Jeong Bo-geun, Head of Production Headquarters at Hyundai Rotem; Oh Byung-hoo, Chairman of Changwon Defense Industry Small and Medium Business Association; Baek Jeong-han, Director of Changwon Industry Promotion Agency; and representatives of local defense partner companies, totaling about 20 people.

The main contents of the agreement include ▲ mutual cooperation for participation of local defense SMEs in K-Defense’s export to Poland ▲ support for local defense SMEs through prototype production and test evaluation by Changwon Special City and the Promotion Agency ▲ cooperation by system companies (Hanwha Defense, Hyundai Rotem) to discover required items to expand participation of local SMEs and ventures ▲ and expansion of SME participation through securing competitiveness via active technology development by the association.

K-Defense has been enhancing its global status with major export deals such as the 1 trillion won K9 self-propelled howitzer export to Australia in December last year, the 4 trillion won Cheongung-II export to UAE in January, and the 2 trillion won K9 self-propelled howitzer export to Egypt in April. In addition, Changwon’s premium weapon systems like the K2 tank and K9 self-propelled howitzer are awaiting the final export contract to Poland at the end of August, expected to write a new chapter in the defense industry.

Furthermore, the city is fostering the defense industry as a future growth industry and is preparing a roadmap to become a city leading global defense beyond Korea by creating an industrial cluster through attracting advanced defense science technology and building equipment.

Mayor Hong said, “Through this agreement, we aim to respond to the government’s will to enter the world’s top four defense export countries and elevate Korea to a defense powerhouse,” adding, “We will strengthen the virtuous cycle structure where defense exports’ ripple effects, system companies, SMEs, and the local economy grow together.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.