Korean aerospace leaders push software-defined defense and startup partnerships at Jinju forum

During the third session of the Jinju International Forum on Entrepreneurship, executives from major Korean aerospace firms and foreign partners discussed transforming the defense industry through software-defined solutions. John Kim of Anduril Korea warned that legacy procurement is too slow for modern warfare and promoted the company’s open AI platform Lattice and its autonomous air vehicle Roadrunner. Hong Yo-sep of AeroVironment stressed trust and cooperation to overcome operational disruptions, while Korean Air’s Kim Ha-neul highlighted physical AI, scalable production and dual-track strategies that combine government contracts with startup collaborations.

Shin Ik-hyun of LIG Defense & Aerospace emphasized cleaning existing data before applying AI, and Ahn Hyon-su of ANH Structure called for early, risk-shared partnerships between large firms and smaller suppliers. The session concluded with a call for clearer responsibilities, quicker decision-making and a six-month prototype target, and ANH Structure announced a long-term supply deal with Britain’s Vertical Aerospace for electric VTOL seating.