Former Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung vowed Thursday to introduce comprehensive support measures for the defense industry in a bid to position South Korea among the world's top four defense powerhouses.
Lee, who announced his presidential bid last week and is leading opinion polls for the June 3 presidential election, made the pledge ahead of a scheduled visit to the state-run Agency for Defense Development in Daejeon, about 160 kilometers south of Seoul.
"I will establish a control tower for defense exports and convene regular presidential meetings to craft strategies for boosting arms exports," Lee wrote on Facebook.
Lee described the defense industry, powered by strong manufacturing capabilities and state-of-the-art technologies, as a "new growth engine" capable of addressing the nation's slowing economic growth.
"To make this a reality, the government should strengthen a comprehensive support system," he said.
Lee vowed to reform the financial package for the defense sector, offer tax incentives for arms exporters and develop region-specific strategies to expand international cooperation.
In a separate post, Lee promised to establish branches of the National Assembly and the presidential office in the administrative city of Sejong within his term if elected, reiterating his commitment to "balanced development."
In the long term, Lee said he would push for the "complete relocation" of the Assembly and the presidential office from Seoul through public consensus. (Yonhap)
