Korea-US defense industry cooperation requires ‘cooperation with Silicon Valley companies…’ ‘Need for new Korean technology that is superior to that of the United States’

“Korea-US defense industry cooperation requires cooperation with Silicon Valley companies… We need new Korean technologies that are superior to those of the US.”

(Washington = Yonhap News) Correspondent Lee Yu-mi = In order to expand the Korean shipbuilding industry's entry into and investment in the United States, it was suggested that it is necessary to improve the current U.S. regulatory system, including intellectual property rights (IP) and export controls.

Bill Greenwalt, a senior researcher at the American Enterprise Institute (AEI) who served as deputy undersecretary of defense for industrial policy at the U.S. Department of Defense and a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, said at a seminar held at the Korea-U.S. Congressional Exchange Center in Washington, D.C. on the 22nd (local time), "Shipbuilding is probably one of the most politically sensitive industries in the United States."

“We must cooperate,” he said, adding that rules must be supported to attract Korean investment and knowledge to the United States and increase joint productivity.

He emphasized that in order for ROK-US shipbuilding cooperation to produce practical results, a new framework is needed that includes IP, export controls, investment incentives, and various regulatory compliance mechanisms.

Researcher Greenwalt said to Korean companies, "Rather than simply saying, 'This won't work,' you need to suggest what specifically is needed for this to work and what rules need to be changed to achieve the desired results. That's where the negotiations begin."

Regarding cooperation in the ROK-US defense industry, he suggested that Korean companies should actively seek cooperation with Silicon Valley companies that are leading the way with cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and robots.

Researcher Greenwalt said, “The natural partners for many Korean companies are companies that want to completely revolutionize the U.S. defense industry market,” and added, “Cooperation with Silicon Valley companies is the model for future cooperation.”

He pointed out that cooperation between Korean companies and traditional American defense companies such as Lockheed Martin is likely to encounter various barriers such as the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR).

On the other hand, he explained that AI, robots, and autonomous systems that Silicon Valley companies focus on are 'dual-use' technologies that are used by both the military and the private sector, so cooperation is relatively easier than in the existing weapon system field.

In addition, he emphasized that in order for Korean companies to expand their entry into the U.S. defense market, "they must develop new technologies that are superior to those possessed by the United States."