Wellington Koo
Taiwan's Minister of National Defense since May 2024; a former criminal-law litigator.
Since May 2024, Wellington Koo has led Taiwan's Ministry of National Defense, where drone procurement now depends on annual legislative votes.
Last refreshed: 1 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
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Wellington Koo is Taiwan's Minister of National Defense. He took office on 20 May 2024 and leads the ministry responsible for Taiwan's military planning, procurement and defence policy.
Before entering the ministry, Koo practised criminal law for more than 30 years. He also chaired Taiwan's Financial Supervisory Commission and the Ill-gotten Party Assets Settlement Committee, served as secretary-general of the National Security Council and was a legislator. His ministry must implement the drone procurement framework passed on 27 August 2026, which gives domestic makers priority and excludes mainland Chinese suppliers.
The law matters because it places sustained drone funding inside Taiwan's annual budget process. Koo's ministry therefore has to turn a six-year funding baseline into yearly orders while securing approval from a legislature the government does not control.