DAPA appoints new chief as Seoul seeks boost in self-reliance

The South Korean government has appointed a new minister of the country’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). Kang Eun-ho, a former DAPA deputy minister, replaces Wang Jung-hong, who had been in the role since September 2018.

DAPA said Kang will be responsible for oversight of the agency’s “extensive portfolio of force Improvement programmes, the procurement of military supplies, and defence industry promotion”.

Kang joined DAPA in 2006, when the agency was formed, as director of its defence industrial policy division. Other DAPA roles he has held include director of procurement planning, director of acquisition policy, director-general of planning and co-ordination, and director-general of guided weapons programmes.

DAPA was established by South Korea’s Ministry of National Defense (MND) with a remit to enhance transparency and the effectiveness of military procurement. The administration is also responsible for defence industrial development, defence offset, and facilitating defence exports.