국방과학연구소
In 1995, the South Korean Agency for Defense Development (, Hanja: 國防科學硏究所) was given the task of developing a modern armored fighting vehicle based upon state-of-the-art domestic technologies. The objective of this development program was to further modernize the South Korean army, despite the superior capability of existing K1 and K1A1 designs versus North Korean tanks, most of which are aging T-55s and Type 59s. Emphasis upon indigenous technologies would also allow the proposed vehicle to enter the export market without licensing difficulties.