A Study on Changes in Global Defense Industry Policy and Korea's Defense Industry Export Strategy

This paper aims to analyze the rapidly changing global defense industry environment and changes in defense industry policies of major countries, and to derive strategic implications for promoting exports of the Korean defense industry. Recently, global defense spending has been rapidly increasing due to the expansion of geopolitical risks and the incorporation of cutting-edge technologies into the defense industry, and major countries are promoting strengthening their own-centered supply chains and expanding cooperation with their allies. In particular, the United States is emphasizing supply chain resilience and strengthening trade security regulations through the National Defense Industrial Strategy (NDIS), and the European Union (EU) is aiming to increase the proportion of intra-regional procurement and joint procurement through the European Defense Industrial Strategy (EDIS). Korea is showing growth potential based on its technological prowess and price competitiveness, entering the top 10 in the global arms market share, but policy support is urgently needed to minimize the impact of the international situation and external environment. Based on this analysis, this study presents specific policy recommendations for strengthening the export competitiveness of the Korean defense industry, such as establishing an integrated control tower, expanding trust-based cooperation, strengthening technology protection legislation, and expanding financial support.