South Korean President Lee Jae-myung’s Together, On Speed, Performance (T.O.P.) initiative may accelerate defense exports but risks undermining technology security and policy coordination due to the absence of a centralized control tower.

Experts warn that this gap could expose sensitive military technologies through mandatory technology transfers embedded in Seoul’s “package deal” model, which combines arms sales with local production and co-development.

A NATIONAL STRATEGY

Announced on Oct. 23after a senior aides’ meeting, the T.O.P. framework seeks to mobilize the entire defense ecosystem. The Presidential Office described it as a strategy to integrate public and private resources by removing regulatory