The military is developing a new bulletproof vest that could resist armor-piercing ammunition, the Ministry of National Defense said Wednesday.

The Defense Agency for Technology and Quality, the state-run quality control agency for defense goods, is currently gauging the level of technology needed for the body armor development, the ministry said in a release to the media.

It was in response to a report by the Board of Audit and Inspection of Korea that accused several defense officials of taking bribes in return for helping a private defense manufacturer sell its outdated bulletproof vests to the military.

The audit agency said the defense ministry had already completed its development of far superior liquid body armor that could resist armor-piercing shells, but introduced the outmoded vests in a corrupted deal.

The defense ministry said the developed liquid bulletproof vest was too expensive and inefficient to be distributed to troops.

Although it cannot protect against armor-piercing bombs, the current vests are strong enough to resist rifle-fired projectiles and meet the required standard, the ministry added.

The ministry will also consider stripping the vest supplier of its supply license, it also noted. (Yonhap)