Focus on classified and non-profit R&D

• Focus on classified and non-profit R&D which are currently overlooked or ignored in the civilian sector, and concentrate R&D capabilities on weapon systems and advanced science and technology (S&T) for national defense through disruptive innovation
  • Promote defense industry's development of unclassified weapon systems
  • Strengthen defense science and technology (S&T) support as a defense think-tank
• Focus on development of classified weapon systems based on environmental change in national security
  • Accelerate R&D and accumulate technologies required to develop classified technologies and the Triad System to counter nuclear/WMD threats
  • Contribute to the denuclearization and establishment of a peaceful regime on the Korean peninsula by focusing R&D capabilities on advancing classified technologies which enable long-range force projection
  • Promote advancement of cutting-edge defense science and technology (S&T) and acquisition of capabilities which hold high-potential in future applications in order to gain competitive advantages in technology for self-reliant national defense

    * Increase advanced defense science and technology (S&T) development budget in fields such as quantum technology, AI, autonomy, and others — from 28% (2020) to 40% (2023)

• Restructure to respond to environmental change in national security and acquire strategic agility
  • Achieve organizational restructuring by 2020 to flexibly respond to the environmental change in national security and perform the role as a hub for defense science and technology (S&T) to respond to the needs of the military with agility

Reinforce advanced science and technology (S&T) capabilities for national defense to lead the 4th Industrial Revolution

• Establish a solid foundation via advancements in cutting-edge defense S&T which lead the way in an era represented by the 4th Industrial Revolution and the 3rd Offset Strategy

|Advanced Defense Science Core Areas (Future-oriented S&T Driven by Challenge and Discovery)|

첨단 국방과학 중점영역 - 구분, 주요내용

Area		Main Technology
Space/Physics/ Chemistry/ Biology	Space Technology	Space technologies for military reconnaissance satellite constellations, military satellite communication, and micro/nano satellite	Original Technology in Space & Physics
	Sensor Technology	Advanced radar (Active Electronically Scanned Array Radar, Over-The-Horizon Radar, Photonic Radar), advanced navigation system, high-performance seeker, and underwater acoustic sensor technologies
	Laser Technology	High-energy laser weapon technologies
	Quantum Technology	Quantum radar technologies
	Physics/Chemistry	High-energy/high-efficiency material, high-performance warhead (original technology), new material, and chemical/ biological/radiological defense technologies
	Biology	Synthetic biology technologies
Smart Technology/ Software	AI Technology	Core technologies applicable to weapon systems utilizing artificial intelligence and big data	Smart Technology / Software
	Autonomous Technology for Unmanned Systems	Core technologies including autonomous driving — essential to unmanned systems (UGV, USV, UAV, etc.) — and swarming control
	High Capacity Wireless Communication Technology	5th generation network and terahertz technologies
	Cyber Technology	Core technologies for cyber-attack/defense
New Concept Design	Future Platform Design	Design technologies for developing advanced platforms including stealth unmanned aerial vehicles/unmanned combat aerial vehicles, special vessels, and launch platforms to innovate the future battlespace	New Concept Design
	New Concept Technology	New-concept weapon design technologies such as boost-phase interceptors, long-range air-to-air missiles, and anti-submarine ballistic missiles

Establish ADD as an open platform for cutting-edge defense R&D cooperation

• Utilize R&D capabilities of government funded R&D institutes under the Ministry of Science and ICT 
  • Establish a technology cooperation committee among R&D institutes and interchange manpower
  • Expand application of technologies developed by government-funded R&D institutes to the defense area and enhance basic research
• Foster defense industry technology development and support defense exports
  • Provide expanded access to ADD test facilities/devices and support industry-led R&D
  • Hold DID (Defense Industry Day) to provide technological support and to encourage effective communication among major defense companies and SMEs
  • Design and develop new weapon systems with high cost-effectiveness to strengthen export competitiveness
  • Strengthen expertise of manpower (government/military/defense industry) and expand professional training courses related to 'export support' at the Defense Science and Technology Academy
• Establish a global research environment through strengthening international cooperation
  • Promote to enact a guideline for expanding international joint R&D projects
  • Expand international technology cooperation with advanced defense science research institutes
  • Promote tailored international cooperation with each countries' defense science R&D institutes and strengthen research cooperation with the US in advanced core technologies such as AI and unmanned autonomy
• Provide specialized advice (Defense Think-tank)
  • Conduct technical analysis and evaluation of hostile weapons such as North Korean WMD and missiles, etc.
  • Provide technical support to non-proliferation regimes such as MTCR, WA, and OPCW as technology experts
• Benchmark DARPA*, DIU** and SCO*** in expanding the Advanced Defense Technology Research Institute, Institute of Civil-Military Technology Cooperation, and Concept Research Center respectively
  • * DARPA : Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency
  • ** DIU : Defense Innovation Unit
  • *** SCO : Strategic Capabilities Office

Nurture corruption-free and immersive research environments to instill pride

• Ensure a corruption-free research environment
  • Achieve the highest anti-corruption standard by establishing Fair Trade Commission level [Employee's Code of Conduct] and [Ethics Audit System]
  • Enhance transparency and credibility of R&D through the improvement of proposal evaluation procedure, etc.
  • Expand the [Employment Restriction Policy] to be applied to Senior Principal Researchers, mandating property registration and preventing individuals to work in the defense industry for three years after retirement
• Recruit and train a dedicated workforce
  • Recruit PhD-level experts (over 90% of total recruits) and construct a basis for multi-disciplinary research through balanced recruiting across various fields of science and engineering
  • Increase expertise for each individual through domestic/international exchange programs and re-education of senior level researchers
  • Convert non-regular employees to permanent employees and/or permanent contractors to comply with the government policy

    * As of August 1, 2018: Non-Regular Employees > Permanent Employees (285); Temporary Contractors > Permanent Contractors (89)

  • Train Science & Engineering Officers: Benchmarking the Talpiot Program of Israel, the Science & Engineering Officer Program aims to train elite science and technology (S&T) experts at the national level by providing them an opportunity to concentrate on defense R&D without discontinuities in their careers
  • Train Cyber Technology Research Officers: The Cyber Technology Research Officer Program aims to train cybersecurity experts at the national level to prepare for future cyber warfare

       * In 2018, the program was awarded the Best Human Resource Development Program by the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of 
          Personnel Management (1st place among 49 public sector organizations)

  * In 2018, ADD received Level 2 in anti-corruption assessment, the highest level achieved by a public sector organization

  * In 2019, ADD received the Presidential Award in the National Quality Innovation Award's Human Resource Development category at the 45th National Quality Management Convention

• Establish an immersive research environment
  • Cultivate research culture in which expertise and autonomy are encouraged
  • Introduce Smart-working System
  • Modernize research infrastructure and establish basis for open R&D
• Enhance and foster ADD "Detail Management" core values — Absolute Integrity, Absolute Safety, Absolute Security, and Absolute Quality