[E-Daily Reporter kim kwanyong ] The Korea Defense Technology and Quality Agency (KDQ) has awarded Hyundai Rotem South Korea’s first North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) quality assurance certificate. This marks the full-scale launch of the institutional foundation for South Korean defense companies to penetrate the European market. Having secured the authority to grant direct certification from NATO last year and now producing its first certified company, the agency is expected to serve as a “certification platform” supporting South Korean defense companies’ entry into the NATO procurement market.

The agency announced on the 13th that it had awarded the “AQAP-2110” certificate—the NATO quality assurance system standard—at Hyundai Rotem’s facility in Uiwang, Gyeonggi Province. This is the first certificate issued by KQA since it acquired the authority to grant AQAP-2110 certification in March of last year, making Hyundai Rotem the first AQAP-2110-certified company in South Korea.

AQAP (Allied Quality Assurance Publications) refers to the quality assurance standards required by NATO member countries when procuring defense materiel. Among these, AQAP-2110 is a key certification that evaluates whether a quality management system meets NATO standards throughout the entire process of weapons system design, development, and production.

This certification goes beyond simply recognizing the quality management system of a single company. It is highly significant as it marks the first time the Defense Technology and Quality Agency has utilized the AQAP certification authority—secured from NATO last year—to provide actual support to a company.

Until now, domestic companies often had to undergo separate quality verification procedures to export defense products to NATO countries

This process entailed significant time and costs, and concerns about technology leakage were consistently raised due to the need to submit quality-related technical data to overseas agencies.

However, with the Defense Technology and Quality Agency now operating as an AQAP certification body, domestic companies can obtain quality certification that meets NATO standards right here in Korea. Consequently, overseas certification procedures are expected to be streamlined, export preparation times shortened, and the administrative burden on companies significantly reduced.

In particular, as the government recently expands defense cooperation with NATO and actively pursues entry into the European defense market, AQAP certification is expected to establish itself as a key infrastructure for enhancing the export competitiveness of domestic companies.

Hyundai Rotem has also received official recognition through this certification that the quality management systems for its major defense products, such as the K2 tank, comply with NATO standards. This is expected to serve as a factor that enhances quality reliability for overseas customers, including NATO member countries.

Shin Sang-beom, Director General of the Korea Quality Assurance Agency, stated, “The awarding of the AQAP-2110 certificate is highly significant as it officially confirms that the quality management systems of domestic defense companies meet NATO standards.” He added, “To support the government’s efforts to foster an export-driven defense industry, we will continue to develop the AQAP-2110 certification and related systems to actively support domestic defense companies’ entry into the global market.”