South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) holds the 2025 Defense R&D Incentive Awards Ceremony
As part of the first-ever Defense Industry Day week, South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (Administrator: Seok Jong Geon) held the 2025 Defense R&D Incentive Awards Ceremony on Tuesday at the Changwon Convention Center to express gratitude for the contributions of defense researchers and boost morale.
The incentive awards, which have been given annually since 1979, aim to encourage researchers dedicated to defense R&D and to promote further innovation in the field. This year’s ceremony was held as part of the opening event for the Defense Industry Components, Materials, and Equipment Expo, drawing enthusiastic congratulations from many figures in the defense industry.
In 2025, a total of 59 research achievements submitted by the Agency for Defense Development (ADD), defense companies, military branches, and research institutions were rigorously reviewed by subject-matter experts. As a result, the awards were presented as follows: two Gold Prizes ($36,370), five Silver Prizes ($21,823), nine Bronze Prizes ($14,549), and sixteen Encouragement Awards ($7,274).
The prestigious Gold Prize was awarded to 17 researchers, including Lee Ki Won from LIG Nex1, for the successful development of a long-range radar system. The system, which is currently replacing outdated radars used by the Air Force, was assessed to deliver performance equal to or better than foreign-made equipment. Researcher Lee Ki Won commented, “Although we faced difficulties in meeting development timelines and during testing and evaluation, LIG Nex1 and government agencies collaborated from the early stages of the project to identify and mitigate risks, which enabled our success.”
Hanwha Systems received a Silver Prize for successfully upgrading the Mode 5 Identification Friend or Foe (IFF) equipment. Other recipients included the Army Logistics Depot for developing maintenance technology for the vertical and horizontal stabilizers of Apache helicopters, and EO System for developing a compact, lightweight, multifunctional observation device. In total, 262 defense R&D personnel from the military and small to mid-sized enterprises received incentive awards.
Administrator Seok Jong Geon stated, “The Republic of Korea’s rise to the level of a global leader in defense science and technology is thanks to the dedication and passion of defense researchers who have persevered under challenging conditions.” He added, “The government will continue to listen to voices from the field and provide active support so that those who devote themselves to defense R&D receive the treatment and honor they rightly deserve.”
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