Chilgok County Engages with the Frontlines of the Defense Industry

'Corporate Visit Day' Held
On-Site Visits to Three Local Defense SMEs
MKDS, Hwanhwa, and SM Tech

Chilgok County in North Gyeongsang Province visited local defense small and medium-sized enterprises-MKDS Co., Ltd., Hwanhwa Co., Ltd., and SM Tech Co., Ltd.-on November 26, marking the final 'Corporate Visit Day' of the year. These companies are experiencing rapid growth due to the global export boom.

These enterprises produce key components for major weapons systems such as Cheongung (M-SAM), K-9 self-propelled howitzers, and K2 tanks, serving as vital pillars in the domestic defense industry supply chain.

On the occasion of the 'Corporate Visit Day,' visits were made to local defense small and medium-sized enterprises rapidly growing due to the global export boom: MKDS Co., Ltd., Hwanhwa Co., Ltd., and SM Tech Co., Ltd. Photo by Lee Hwan Kim

During this visit, various challenges faced on-site were raised, including difficulties in securing productivity due to the defense industry's characteristic structure of high-mix, low-volume production, issues in securing specialized technical personnel, and problems related to factory locations.

Chilgok County stated that it would cooperate with relevant departments to review and find solutions to the difficulties faced by these companies.

A Chilgok County official commented, "South Korea, which once received weapons as aid, has now grown into a major global arms exporter. At the heart of this transformation are companies like yours, which have quietly developed technologies and maintained the supply chain. Chilgok County will spare no administrative support to ensure that companies can continue to grow stably."

Meanwhile, Chilgok County has operated 'Corporate Visit Day' every month this year, visiting companies across various industries and reflecting on-site feedback in its policies. Next year, the county plans to continue on-site communication activities to provide tailored support for businesses and to strengthen industrial competitiveness.

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