Anduril Industries has appointed former Boeing executive John Kim to lead its first office in Seoul, South Korea. The defense technology firm announced the executive move during founder Palmer Luckey’s two-day visit to the country.
As vice president and head of Anduril Korea, Kim, formerly interim president and head of defense business at Boeing Korea, will lead efforts to expand the company’s business there, with plans to double the headcount over the next year.
Regional Defense Capability
Anduril is also signing a contract with Korean Air to co-develop unmanned aerial systems for the aerospace industry, license the production of Anduril products for the Indo-Pacific market, and potentially set up a manufacturing and production facility in Korea. According to Anduril, the partnership aims to establish a mutually cooperative framework to support regional defense capabilities.
“Anduril is committed to helping the Republic of Korea in its mission to develop a technologically advanced, highly networked armed force with fewer but more precise platforms, leveraging technology like autonomy and artificial intelligence,” said Kim. “Our new office and team expansion is further demonstration of this ongoing commitment.”
Anduril Growth Moves
The South Korea expansion follows other recent growth moves by Anduril. In May, the company announced plans to acquire Klas, an edge computing and tactical communications solutions provider with offices in the United States and Ireland. The deal, if finalized, will expand Anduril’s reach to new locations, including Australia, Japan and the United Kingdom.
Late last year, Anduril Australia also began preparing to bid on a government contract to build a domestic solid rocket motor production facility. The site would support Australia’s $14.1 billion, 10-year strategy to boost the country’s ability to produce, sustain and maintain advanced missile systems.
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