S. Korea, U.S. sign arrangement for prioritized supply of defense products

▲ William LaPlante, U.S. undersecretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment, signs the Security of Supply Arrangement between South Korea and the United States, at his office, in this undated photo provided by Seoul's Defense Acquisition Program Administration on Nov. 17, 2023. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

S Korea-US-defense supply pact

S. Korea, U.S. sign arrangement for prioritized supply of defense products

SEOUL, Nov. 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea and the United States have entered into an arrangement designed to prioritize the supply of defense-related materials and goods to each other, Seoul's arms procurement agency said Friday, in a move to bolster their security supply chain resiliency.

The Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) and the U.S. Department of Defense signed the Security of Supply Arrangement, allowing the two sides to request from one another priority delivery for orders of defense-related goods.

Washington has signed the arrangement with allies and partners to better facilitate access to key defense sector supplies. With the latest signing, it has entered into the arrangement with 16 countries, including Britain and Japan.

"(South Korea) is expected to receive U.S. defense resources preferentially, benefiting timely deployment and operation rate of weapons systems in the country," DAPA said in an English-language release.

The signing comes after President Yoon Suk Yeol and U.S. President Joe Biden agreed to strengthen partnerships in defense supply chains during their summit in Seoul in May last year.

The two countries have also begun talks to sign a bilateral Reciprocal Defense Procurement Agreement, which is aimed at easing access to the signatories' defense markets.

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