President Lee Says 'Technology Decides Victory or Defeat,' Vows to Foster Innovative Firms to Compete With Palantir

President Lee Jae-myung stated, "Technological superiority is security superiority," adding, "For the Republic of Korea to transform from a traditional defense powerhouse into a global new security powerhouse, fostering new security innovative enterprises at the national level is more important than anything else."

During the "Future New Security Innovative Enterprise Fostering Strategy Meeting" he presided over at the Blue House, President Lee said, "The modern security environment has shifted into an era of technological security where technology decides victory or defeat. The battlefield is expanding infinitely beyond land, sea, and air into domains dominated by artificial intelligence (AI)."

President Lee explained, "The competitiveness for national survival is determined by how many innovative companies with technology we possess," adding, "South Korea has leaped from a country that could not make a single rifle and relied on aid in the past to one of the world's top four defense powerhouses. However, it is also a reality that we are heavily biased toward large conglomerates and hardware, and our procurement structure is slow and rigid."

He emphasized, "Our government intends to foster new security innovative companies that possess advanced proprietary technologies such as artificial intelligence, drones, cyber security, and aerospace."

Specifically, he introduced, "We must also create innovative companies that can confidently compete with Palantir, a U.S. data analytics firm with a corporate value of 480 trillion won," adding, "The government will push to foster five companies with a corporate value of over 1 trillion won and 50 companies with sales of over 100 billion won in the new security sector by 2030."

As strategies for this, he first introduced, "To quickly purchase technological products from innovative companies, we will introduce an innovation-promoting contract system for non-defense sectors such as aerospace, and create an advanced technology-type acquisition system for the defense sector to enable the initial deployment of advanced weapon systems within one year."

Along with this, he said, "Like the U.S. CIA's (Central Intelligence Agency) In-Q-Tel model, which strengthened security capabilities through investment in innovative companies and technology linkage, we will expand the government's strategic investment in the new security industry by establishing a 'Korean-style In-Q-Tel'."

Furthermore, he stated, "We will fully support young talents entering innovative companies, including designating universities focused on new security startups," adding, "To this end, we will form a pan-government task force and enact a relevant special act to establish a new defense procurement system through the fostering of innovative companies."

In particular, he promised, "The new security market is expected to be a new opportunity for innovative startups. Just like America's Palantir, which started with the conviction and passion of young people and grew into a global security innovation enterprise, we will spare no support to help our innovative companies stand tall."

He also added, "We are not excluding large conglomerates. However, this seems to be a new stage where innovative companies, such as venture startups that have an edge in terms of speed and agility, can play a leading role."

President Lee assessed, "In fact, our Republic of Korea is a country with a remarkably high military density in the world," adding, "We can turn the risk factor of division—which is a disadvantage if it is a disadvantage, and a shackle if it is a shackle—into an opportunity."

He then promised, "Ultimately, victory or defeat will depend on how well the government supports the activities of private innovative companies from the sidelines," adding, "The government will also do its best to create a new ecosystem."

(Photo: Blue House Press Photo Corps, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.