Germany to Simplify Procedures for Defence Exports to South Korea

Germany plans to simplify its procedures for exports of defense products to South Korea starting next month, Seoul’s arms procurement agency said.

From Sept 1, Germany will no longer require its companies supplying non-sensitive defence and dual-use goods to South Korea to receive approval from its federal export control office, according to the Defense Acquisition Programme Administration (DAPA).

The measure also reflects Berlin’s view of Seoul as a country equivalent to a North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) member under its arms export rules, it added, noting that such benefits have been given to European Union and NATO countries along with a few others, Yonhap said.

Currently, German companies have to receive export licences to ship defence-related goods to the country, as well as when South Korean military equipment containing their products is exported to other nations, a Yonhap report said.

Under the new measure, the companies will only be required to report their exports to authorities after they have been shipped, DAPA said, citing Germany’s Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action.

The agency said it expects the move to resolve issues stemming from existing export procedures, such as delays to Seoul’s military asset deployment, and lead to active efforts from the two countries’ companies in the global defence market. –shp/adj/mgm