Deputy Prime Minister and Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon speaks during a ministerial meeting on science and technology at the Government Complex Seoul in Jongno-gu, central Seoul, on Thursday. (Yonhap) South Korea’s arms procurement agency outlined a plan Thursday to accelerate the domestic development and production of defense semiconductors, with an aim to reduce the country’s heavy reliance on overseas suppliers.The strategy was reviewed at the 11th ministerial meeting on science and technology held Thursday, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration.Under the plan, the government will use stable demand generated by future weapons acquisition programs to support the rapid development of domestically produced defense chips.It also plans to conduct government-led reliability testing and field demonstrations before gradually requiring locally sourced semiconductors to be used in weapons systems.The scope and timing of the requirement will be determined after consultations with relevant parties, as mandatory use of domestic chips could affect weapons deployment schedules, DAPA said.The strategy also calls for the establishment of a public-private semiconductor fabrication facility to support research and development related to the manufacturing and mass production of defense chips.The government will designate and foster specialized defense semiconductor companies and train personnel with expertise in the sector.It plans to strengthen the resilience of the defense semiconductor supply chain and gradually improve technological competitiveness through cooperation among domestic companies, universities and research institutes, as well as international partners.South Korea reportedly imports about 99 percent of the semiconductors used in its weapons systems.Concerns have grown that geopolitical instability or disruptions to global supply chains could make it difficult to secure critical components and delay the deployment of weapons systems.The government has operated a task force involving DAPA and the Science and Industry ministries since October last year to develop the strategy and prepare legislation aimed at supporting the defense semiconductor industry.The defense semiconductor law was promulgated after passing the Cabinet last month. DAPA is now drafting an enforcement decree and related regulations.“This goes beyond replacing individual imported components,” DAPA Minister Lee Yong-cheol said. “We will make every effort to build a sustainable defense semiconductor ecosystem covering the entire process from design to production.”