The Administrator of the Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA), Seok Jong-geon, visited Norway and met with high-ranking officials in the defense sector, DAPA announced on the 28th.
According to DAPA, Administrator Seok met with Vice Minister Andreas Plom of the Ministry of National Defense to discuss the status of Norway's K9 self-propelled artillery, the introduction of additional units, and the performance upgrades of existing units. Norway is a founding member of the "K9 User Club," an organization of countries that have adopted the K9 self-propelled artillery.
Currently, Norway is reviewing the acquisition of long-range precision strike weapons systems. In this regard, Administrator Seok emphasized that the domestic multiple rocket launcher Cheonmoo is the optimal weapons system that can be supplied in a timely manner. He also shared examples of defense cooperation between Korea and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) member countries in Central Europe at the request of the Norwegian side.
Administrator Seok also had discussions with Oivind Kvalvik, Deputy Director of the Norwegian Defense Materiel Agency, which oversees Norway's defense acquisition projects. Seok introduced domestic weapons systems in the fields of air defense weapons systems and infantry fighting vehicles that match the demand in Norway's long-term defense plan.
He also pledged to strengthen joint research and development cooperation between the two countries on challenges in space, such as satellites, missiles, and electronic warfare, which pertain to future battlefield environments.