Seoul ADEX 2025 to highlight Korea’s growing aerospace and defense capabilities

Visitors look around the 2023 Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX) at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, on Oct. 18, 2023. [JOONGANG ILBO]

 
The largest and most ambitious display yet of Korea’s aerospace and defense capabilities will take center stage later this week at the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX) 2025, underscoring the nation’s growing ambitions as a global arms exporter.
 
Spanning eight days from Oct. 17 to Oct. 24, the biennial event will feature more than 600 companies from 35 countries, marking a record-breaking scale for the exhibition and highlighting Korea’s determination to solidify its place among the world’s top defense producers.
 
 
This year’s ADEX — co-hosted by the Korea Aerospace Industries Association (KAIA) and the Korea Defense Industry Association (KDIA) — arrives at a moment of extraordinary momentum for the Korean defense industry. The country’s arms exports nearly doubled between 2021 and 2022, driven in large part by a blockbuster deal with Poland that included K2 Black Panther tanks, K9 self-propelled howitzers, FA-50 light attack aircraft and Chunmoo multiple rocket launchers.
 
That agreement, worth billions, was remarkable not only for its size but also for its speed of delivery and compliance with NATO standards, qualities that European militaries have come to prize amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine. More recently, Korea has secured major contracts with Romania for K9 howitzers and with the Philippines for FA-50 jets, further establishing its reputation as a reliable supplier.
 
“The Seoul ADEX has risen to the ranks of the world’s top three air shows, and its international standing will be further solidified through this year’s event,” said Lee Gang-hee, chief of the Seoul ADEX 2025 Office. 
 
“Through this, we aim to elevate the standing of Korea’s defense industry and drive an increase in defense exports.” 
 
Dual venues, broader access
 
First launched in 1996 as the Seoul Air Show and expanded in 2009 to include ground defense equipment, ADEX has grown into Korea’s flagship platform for aerospace and defense diplomacy. The 2025 edition will take place across two major venues — Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, and the Kintex convention center northwest of Seoul — marking the largest scale event in its three-decade history.
 
Nearly 49,000 square meters (1.2 acres) of indoor exhibition space at Kintex will be used this year — a 60 percent increase in space from the last event — putting ADEX on par with Britain’s Farnborough International Airshow. Organizers say they expect more than 300,000 visitors, including 100,000 industry professionals, cementing ADEX’s role not only as a trade fair but also as a stage for national prestige.
 

A child watches an aerobatic performance by the Air Force’s Black Eagles at the 2023 Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX) at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, Oct. 22, 2023. [YONHAP]

 
From Friday to Sunday, the air base will open to the general public with aerial performances by the Air Force’s Black Eagles aerobatic team, alongside civilian aerobatic flights and demonstrations of locally produced aircraft. Visitors will also be able to participate in aircraft and ground vehicle boarding experiences.
 
The outdoor exhibition will feature 32 aircraft, including the domestically developed KF-21 fighter jet, light armed helicopters (LAH) and the U.S. Air Force’s F-16 Fighting Falcon.
 
Also on display will be 15 air defense systems, including the Cheongung (KM-SAM), Cheonho and Vulcan systems, as well as air-to-air missiles and precision-guided bombs mounted on fighter jets. The Korean GPS-Guided Bomb (KGGB), which gained attention for its precision strike on Cambodian military headquarters during the Thailand–Cambodia conflict, is expected to be one of the highlights.
 
At Kintex, “Business Days” will run from Oct. 20 to 23, featuring B2B meetings and networking sessions. On Oct. 24, dubbed “Future’s Day,” the exhibition will open to students and job seekers, with industry lectures and recruitment booths set up to encourage careers in aerospace and defense.
 
A centerpiece of this year’s ADEX will be the New Technology Hall, spanning 2,200 square meters and showcasing innovations such as reusable launch vehicles, advanced satellite communications, space-grade carbon composites and full-scale models of advanced air mobility aircraft.
 
According to the organizers, the 2025 edition aims “to strengthen both international and domestic collaboration, position Korea among the world’s top four defense-exporting nations, expand opportunities in the space and advanced air mobility sectors and boost national pride through greater public participation.”
 
Into the future: Aerospace and space technologies
 
Among the key exhibitors is Hanwha Aerospace, a leading Korean defense company, which will highlight the integration of AI into next-generation weapons systems.  
 
According to the company, Hanwha Aerospace will showcase AI-driven technologies in autonomous navigation, target detection and mission optimization. Its K9A3 self-propelled howitzer and unmanned systems in the MUM-T (Manned-Unmanned Teaming) zone can operate both remotely and autonomously, while upgraded air defense systems will demonstrate enhanced capabilities to counter drones and small unmanned aerial vehicles.
 
Hanwha Aerospace will also unveil the Chunmoo 3.0, its latest precision strike system, for the first time. The new model, a 100-kilometer-class airborne guided munition, is compatible with existing Chunmoo launchers through simple pod replacement.
 
The company further stressed one of the most anticipated exhibits will be the K-NIFV (Korean Next-Generation Infantry Fighting Vehicle).  
 
“Developed under the Korea Research Institue for Defense Technology Planning and Advancement’s weapon system upgrade program, the K-NIFV incorporates domestically produced technologies in its hull and turret derived from the Redback platform, offering enhanced protection and firepower,” said a Hanwha Aerospace spokesperson.
 

Visitors look around the Hanwha booth at the 2023 Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX) at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, on Oct. 18, 2023. [JOONGANG ILBO]

 
Hanwha Aerospace also serves as the prime contractor for the Nuri rocket advancement program, jointly managed with the Korea Aerospace Research Institute through 2027. The government-led initiative aims to foster private-sector participation in space launch capabilities by supporting repeated rocket launches and technology transfers. Hanwha, selected as the prime contractor in December 2022, is leading production for the fourth through sixth Nuri launches, scheduled between November 2025 and 2027.
 
Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), the country’s sole aircraft manufacturer, will showcase its Surion helicopter and an integrated manned-unmanned operation system for light armed helicopters.  
 
“We will display the KF-21 Boramae, which entered mass production in 2024, as well as our flagship models — the FA-50, KUH and LAH — along with AI-based Next Air Combat System (NACS) concepts and advanced simulators,” a KAI spokesperson said.
 
“The KF-21 is now in the final phase of flight tests for air-to-air weapons integration, with mass production deliveries beginning in 2026. By 2028, we will expand its air-to-ground strike capabilities. Successful tests have already been conducted with short-range IRIS-T and medium-range Meteor missiles, as well as aerial refueling trials.”
 

Models of Korea Aerospace Industries’ KF-21 multirole fighter, right, and unmanned combat aircraft, left, are on display at the company’s showroom at the 2023 Seoul ADEX. [MICHAEL LEE]

 
Korean Air will unveil its low-observable unmanned wingman aircraft, vertical takeoff and landing drones and small cooperative unmanned systems for the first time.
 
Hanwha Systems, a defense electronics affiliate of Hanwha, will display its AESPA radar designed for KF-21 fighter jet and small synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite. 
 
Defense industry on display

For Korea, ADEX 2025 is more than an industrial fair. It is a carefully staged projection of national power, designed to showcase a defense sector that has become a pillar of foreign policy as well as an economic engine.  
 

The Korean air-launched cruise missile (Kalcm), which will be the first Korean-made guided munition to be mounted on the KF-21 multirole fighter, is displayed at LIG-Nex1’s showroom at the Seoul ADEX on Oct. 17, 2023. [MICHAEL LEE]

 
Against a backdrop of war in Europe, rising tensions in East Asia and intensifying global demand for arms, the exhibition will demonstrate not only the hardware on display but also the geopolitical clout of the nation that produces it.
 
Korean defense company LIG Nex1 will showcase short- and medium-range air-to-air missile models to be mounted on the KF-21 Boramae fighter jet — marking the first public presentation of domestically developed air-to-air missiles. While Korea has long produced various weapons, it has until now relied on imports for aerial munitions, particularly air-to-air systems.
 
Its exhibit this year will feature more than 20 new models, including the KF-21 armament system, the Chollian 5 — Korea’s first civilian-led geostationary weather satellite — and small satellite constellations such as the LIG SAT.
 
Hyundai Rotem, a Korean railway and defense systems company, will present the K2PL main battle tank, which was developed for export to Poland, a wheeled armored vehicle for export to Peru and a hydrogen fuel-cell platform.
 
“Hyundai Rotem plans to demonstrate current and future battlefield systems, including the K2PL, as well as manned-unmanned teaming systems (MUM-T) that will define future warfare,” the company said.  
 
“We will also introduce upgraded versions of our K2 tank and K808 armored vehicle, along with the HR-Sherpa, an AI-based autonomous multipurpose unmanned vehicle, and an open hydrogen fuel-cell platform developed in collaboration with Hyundai Motor.”
 

A full-scale model of Hyundai Rotem’s wheeled armored vehicle under development is on display at the company’s exhibit at the Seoul ADEX on Oct. 17, 2023. [MICHAEL LEE]

 
The Korean government has declared its ambition to make their country the world’s fourth-largest arms exporter by 2027, with Seoul ADEX as a key instrument in achieving that goal.
 
“This year, the number of high-ranking military officials visiting from abroad — those with decision-making authority over weapons procurement — is expected to reach an all-time high, driving high-level military diplomacy, export consultations and increased contract awards,” ADEX co-host KAIA wrote in its Aerospace Magazine.
 
“With more central European countries participating — seemingly in response to heightened interest in Korean defense systems following the Russia-Ukraine war — Seoul ADEX 2025 is expected to directly boost Korea’s defense exports.”

BY CHO JUNG-WOO AND MICHAEL LEE [[email protected]]