The 2025 Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition (Seoul ADEX) officially opens on October 20 at KINTEX in Ilsan, Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. The opening ceremony is held in the morning at KINTEX with over 500 participants, including major domestic and international figures and foreign delegations. Following the ceremony, there will be a series of networking events such as high-level meetings, business meetings, seminars, academic conferences, and technology exchanges. On October 24, Futures Day will feature career briefings and counseling booths for elementary, middle, high school students, university students, and military personnel.
This year, Seoul ADEX is organized into ‘Public Day,’ open to the general public, and ‘Business Day,’ targeting those in the aerospace and defense industries. Public Day took place from the 17th to the 19th at Seoul Airport, featuring celebratory flights of the 5th generation stealth fighter F-35A and advanced demonstrations by the domestic fighter KF-21, along with an air show by the Black Eagles, the Air Force’s special flight team. The “10th-generation public pilot” flight experience and appointment ceremony were also held. Business Day runs from the 20th to the 24th at KINTEX, with the opening ceremony also held on the first day.
Continuing the impressive export performance of ‘K-Defense,’ this year’s Seoul ADEX sees a record participation of 600 companies from 35 countries. In the previous 2023 ADEX, 550 companies from 34 countries participated.
Hanwha Defense three companies—Hanwha Aerospace, Hanwha Systems, and Hanwha Ocean—are operating an integrated booth under the theme “AI Defense for Tomorrow,” exhibiting for the first time the ‘Loitering Precision Guided Weapon’ (L-PGW) as a next-generation export strategy product. They are presenting the roadmap for the K9 self-propelled howitzer’s evolution into the world’s first unmanned hybrid howitzer, the K9A3, as well as next-generation strategic surface ships and ultra-high-resolution (UHR) Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites.
Korean Aerospace Industries (KAI) will unveil its multi-purpose unmanned aerial vehicle (AAP) for the first time and display the Light Armed Helicopter (LAH) and Aerial Launched UAV (ALE).
Hyundai Rotem will demonstrate the manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) concept focusing on AI-driven land combat platforms, featuring collaborative operations of the K2 tank and HR-Sherpa multi-purpose unmanned vehicle.
LIG Nex1 will showcase weapon systems for the KF-21 fighter, AI-based manned-unmanned solutions, and models of long- and short-range air-to-ground and air-to-air missiles, along with a high-resolution SAR satellite and surveillance and reconnaissance electro-optical systems.
In the seminar on aviation traffic certification issues, prominent AAM (Advanced Air Mobility) companies like Joby Aviation, Archer Aviation, Wisk Aero from the U.S., and European companies Volocopter, Lilium, and Airbus will participate. AAM encompasses urban air mobility (UAM) and regional air mobility (RAM) for future urban transport systems.
The New Technology Hall will introduce new space technology and deep space exploration projects by the Aerospace Research Institute, under the Space Agency. The Korea Transport Institute will exhibit AAM models, traffic management systems, and vertiports. The Space Industry Association will present exhibits on AAM models, space launchers, space farms, space internet communication, and space debris retrieval devices.
The outdoor exhibition area at KINTEX will display export equipment for ‘K-Defense,’ while over 30 seminars related to aerospace and defense industries will be held simultaneously at KINTEX.
Other events include high-level meetings, business meetings, seminars, academic conferences, technology exchange meetings, and career counseling booths. Viewing hours are from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM from the 20th to the 24th; however, on the 20th, visitors can enter from 1:00 PM due to the opening event. General visitors over 19 years old can enter both Seoul Airport and KINTEX events across all 8 days, while on the 20th to 23rd, entry is limited to those over 19 years old. For ticket reservations and detailed information, visit the Seoul ADEX website (www.seouladex.com).