The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) said on the 27th that it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Malaysia Ministry of National Defense to strengthen defense industry cooperation.
According to DAPA, the MOU was concluded on the occasion of the Korea–Malaysia summit meeting during the ASEAN Summit, and was signed in writing by DAPA Commissioner Seok Jong-geon and Malaysia Minister of National Defense Mohamed Khaled Nordin. A DAPA official said, "This MOU will solidify the foundation of cooperation between Korea and Malaysia and serve as a bridgehead to support ongoing programs."
Malaysia introduced Korea's K200 armored vehicle in 1993 and in 2023 purchased 18 FA-50s, raising the level of cooperation with Korea. DAPA said the MOU is significant in that it laid the groundwork for the two governments and corporations to work together in a practical way on the Malaysian military's modernization programs for core weapons systems, including fighter jets, warships, and guided missiles.
Leveraging the MOU, DAPA plans to expand cooperation beyond procurement of weapons systems to collaboration in defense technology, joint research and development, joint production of military supplies, and joint marketing in third countries. It also plans to run a regular joint committee on the defense industry to continuously review cooperation issues.
DAPA Commissioner Seok Jong-geon said, "The signing of this MOU is the fruit of the two countries' long-standing trust and efforts," adding, "We will be a partner that contributes to strengthening Malaysia's defense capabilities and advancing its defense industry capacity beyond simple exports."