Quantum Aero appoints Geummo Lee as CTO to accelerate sovereign defense-AI development

Quantum Aero has begun full-scale development of a Korea-built mission-autonomy platform, and set its sights on becoming a “K-Anduril” defense-AI unicorn.

Quantum Aero, a defense-AI startup, announced that it has appointed Geummo Lee as its Chief Technology Officer to accelerate the development of Korea's own defense AI and mission-autonomy technology.

Lee earned his PhD in electronic engineering at Yonsei University and built his career across LIG Nex1, Marvell Semiconductor Korea, and NCSoft before serving as CTO of the industrial-AI company OnePredict. Regarded as an AI specialist with deep experience spanning defense, semiconductors, and large-scale software platforms, his appointment marks a pivotal step in Quantum Aero's strategy to build a sovereign defense-AI platform for Korea.

A sovereign mission-autonomy platform

Quantum Aero is currently developing Quantonomy, a next-generation mission-autonomy platform designed for a range of unmanned systems, including unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), unmanned surface vessels (USV), and unmanned ground vehicles (UGV). Development is focused on the AI capabilities future battlefields will demand: operating through GPS jamming and electronic-warfare (EW) conditions, and coordinating collaborative, multi-platform missions.

As CTO, Lee will lead the company's AI platform organization, directing work across six core areas: next-generation mission-autonomy software; an AI operating layer for drones, robots, and unmanned systems; AI-driven collaborative autonomy and swarm operations; AI for GPS-denied environments; digital-twin battlefield simulation; and a fully domestic defense-AI software stack.

AI will become core infrastructure for national security and defense. For Korea to secure its own defense-AI capability, world-class software platforms and AI talent are essential.Dongkeun Jeon, Chairman of the Board

Momentum across Korea's defense programs

As AI becomes a decisive edge in modern weapons systems, Quantum Aero aims to reduce reliance on foreign technology and build a sovereign AI ecosystem rooted in Korean-developed capabilities. As part of the LIG D&A consortium, the company was recently selected by the Defense Technology Research Institute to develop a combat unmanned surface vessel system for the navy, and was chosen for the Ministry of SMEs and Startups' open-innovation program, beginning ROS2-based sovereign-AI development alongside LIG D&A. It was also named a TOP 11 “attack team” in the multi-agency counter-drone (drone-vs-drone) competition, where it will demonstrate autonomous flight in GPS- and communications-denied conditions around June 12.

Jeon added that Lee's arrival marks an important turning point as Quantum Aero moves beyond being a drone company to become an AI-driven defense-software company. “We aim to build a world-class mission-autonomy platform, a Korean K-Anduril,” he said.

“Korea has world-class manufacturing and defense capabilities, but the defense-AI platform space is still in its early stages,” said Lee. “At Quantum Aero, I want to work with many domestic defense companies so that Korea secures true sovereignty in defense-AI technology and builds a platform that can compete in the global market.”

Quantum Aero plans to continue expanding its R&D team around AI autonomy platforms, tactical AI, digital twins, and defense data platforms, with the goal of growing into Korea's leading sovereign defense-AI company.