Embraer and South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to explore cooperation and new business opportunities in South Korea’s defense sector.
The agreement was signed on the opening day of ADEX 2025 by Air Force Brigadier General Kang Joong-hee, Director of the Aircraft Business Division at DAPA, and Bosco da Costa Jr., President and CEO of Embraer Defense & Security.
Brig. Gen. Kang said the MoU marks “a significant opportunity for Korea and Brazil to move beyond a simple buyer-seller relationship and toward a model of mutual growth cooperation.” He added that DAPA would “actively support the entry of Korean companies into the overseas supply chain and the expansion of Korean defense exports” through strategic cooperation with Embraer.
Bosco da Costa Jr. stated that the agreement “reflects the growing partnership between Embraer and DAPA,” emphasizing that it builds on Embraer’s capabilities across air, land, sea, and space to “explore avenues for collaboration and innovation” supporting South Korea’s defense priorities.
The new MoU follows DAPA’s 2023 selection of Embraer’s C-390 Millennium aircraft for the Republic of Korea Air Force (ROKAF) under the Large Transport Aircraft (LTA-II) program. The C-390s will be customized to meet ROKAF’s operational requirements, including integrated training, ground support, and spare parts packages.
Embraer has maintained long-term industrial ties with South Korean companies, beginning with partnerships formed during the E-Jets E2 commercial aircraft program in 2013. In September 2025, Embraer and the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) conducted a roadshow in Sacheon and Busan to identify new collaboration opportunities within Korea’s defense and aerospace ecosystem.
