Gumi City and LIG Nex1 Complete Ship-to-Air Guided Missile-II Assembly and Inspection Facility, Strengthening Status as a Defense Industry Hub

Establishing a Production Base for Core Weapon Systems of Korean Destroyers

Administrative Support for Site, Usage, and Infrastructure

Accelerated Investment Through Tailored Assistance

LIG Nex1 (CEO Shin Ikhyun) held a completion ceremony for the Assembly and Inspection Facility of the Ship-to-Air Guided Missile-II at Gumi 2 House on March 4, 2026.

This completion marks the final stage of the follow-up project under the investment agreement signed with Gumi City in 2022, and is the culmination of the investment that was carried out following last year's completion of the CIWS-II mass production facility.

As a result, the entire investment of 110 billion won in the anti-aircraft guided weapons sector, agreed upon in 2022, has now been fulfilled. This further strengthens Gumi City's position as a core production hub for the defense industry in South Korea.

The ceremony was attended by over 100 people, including Kim Jangho, Mayor of Gumi, Shin Ikhyun, CEO of LIG Nex1, Yang Geumhee, Vice Governor for Economic Affairs of Gyeongsangbuk-do, Park Gyosang, Chairman of the Gumi City Council, as well as representatives from the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, the Navy, the Agency for Defense Development, the Defense Agency for Technology and Quality, and partner companies, who celebrated the completion and pledged their commitment to the project's successful progress.

LIG Nex1 (CEO Shin Ikhyun) held the completion cutting ceremony for the assembly and inspection facility of the Ship-to-Air Guided Missile-II at Gumi 2 House on the 4th / Provided by Gumi City Hall

The Ship-to-Air Guided Missile-II is an air defense guided weapon system to be deployed on the next-generation Korean destroyer KDDX, serving as a key capability to ensure the survivability of friendly vessels against threats from enemy aircraft and cruise missiles.

The newly completed assembly and inspection facility not only supports system development but is also well-equipped to handle future mass production requirements. It is expected to significantly contribute to strengthening the competitiveness of Gumi City's defense industry ecosystem by creating new jobs and promoting the growth of local partner companies. Notably, together with the localization-focused CIWS-II project, this establishes a comprehensive foundation within Gumi City for the production and support of core naval air defense systems.

This investment achievement is credited to Gumi City's proactive and robust administrative support. The city actively pursued the necessary procedures to resolve restrictions stemming from the designation of part of the project site as a river area, successfully changing its usage and thus creating a foundation for swift project implementation.

In addition, the city has undertaken usage conversion procedures to address issues related to natural green areas that hindered business expansion, and has provided comprehensive infrastructure support, including plans to improve access to restricted road sections to ensure smooth operations.

Gumi City has enhanced investment execution by preemptively resolving regulatory and locational challenges, while LIG Nex1 has been able to steadily expand its large-scale investments thanks to this administrative support. Such backing is driving LIG Nex1’s continued large-scale investments and is a key factor in establishing Gumi City as a comprehensive production base encompassing the entire defense industry.

Kim Jangho, Mayor of Gumi, stated, "This completion of the Ship-to-Air Guided Missile-II Assembly and Inspection Facility is a meaningful event that marks the fruition of our investment. It will serve as an opportunity for Gumi City to firmly establish itself as the core hub of South Korea’s defense industry."

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