It was established in August 1970 under the banner of the self-reliant national defense promoted by President Park Chung Hee.

ADD is responsible for first South Korean ballistic missile Nike Hercules Korea-1 aka White/Polar Bear, developed in the 1970s with its first successful test in 1978.

[7] ADD is the operator of South Korea's first dedicated military satellite, ANASIS-II, launched on 20 July 2020 by a Falcon 9 rocket.

Since the Mutual Defense Treaty signed in October 1953, South Korea has been making efforts to rebuild its economy while receiving military aid from the United States.

[1][2] After the Nixon Doctrine announced on July 25, 1969, about 20,000 U.S. troops in South Korea withdrew, creating an atmosphere of reconciliation between the United States and the Eastern Bloc.