A Glimpse of K-Defense... "Seoul ADEX 2025" Opens Today

Seoul Airport and KINTEX in Goyang to Host ADEX from October 17 to 24
Business Platform for 600 Defense Companies from 35 Countries

The Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition (ADEX) 2025, recognized as the largest aerospace and defense industry exhibition in South Korea, will be held for eight days from October 17 to 24 at Seoul Airport in Seongnam and KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. A wide array of new domestically developed weapon systems, including the first-ever unveiling of an indigenous air-to-air missile, will be showcased to attract the attention of international buyers.

Unlike previous years when the event was held only at Seoul Airport, this year the air show (Public Days) will take place at Seoul Airport from October 17 to 19, and the exhibition (Business Days) will be held at KINTEX from October 20 to 24. During the exhibition at KINTEX, only those aged 19 and above can enter from October 20 to 23, while on October 24, designated as "Futures Day," anyone of elementary school age or older may attend.

During the three-day weekend air show, daily demonstration and aerobatic flights will be performed by the Republic of Korea Air Force's special flight team "Black Eagles" and the Australian civilian aerobatic team "Paul Bennet." Outdoor exhibits will feature the KF-21 Boramae, Korea's next-generation fighter jet, the KUH-1 Surion, the nation's first domestically developed multipurpose helicopter, and other core aircraft of the Korean Air Force.

From October 20, the business segment of the event will begin in earnest. The size of the exhibition space, the scale of foreign delegations, and the anticipated business outcomes are all expected to reach record highs. This year, 600 companies from 35 countries are scheduled to participate. In addition to major domestic aerospace and defense firms, leading international companies such as Lockheed Martin, General Electric (GE), RTX, Boeing, and prominent firms from Israel and other countries will set up booths. The United States, Australia, Germany, France, Canada, Finland, and Romania will also establish dedicated national pavilions. More than 450 delegates from approximately 60 countries are expected to attend, and the organizing committee anticipates that contract and consultation figures will easily surpass 30 billion dollars this year.

The joint organizing committee has set this year's ADEX as a platform to "raise awareness of the space economy and promote the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) industry," and for the first time, has established a new technology pavilion. In terms of size (2,260 square meters), it is the world's second largest after the "Space Pavilion" at the Paris Air Show. The pavilion will feature full-scale models of reusable launch vehicles and AAM aircraft, as well as displays on space farms and space debris retrieval devices. The Korea Aerospace Administration and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport have each set up promotional booths to introduce long-term deep space exploration projects and AAM operational infrastructure, respectively.

Several new weapons will also make their debut. LIG Nex1 will unveil a model of the air-to-air missile to be mounted on the KF-21 for the first time. Until now, Korea has had to import all fighter-mounted armaments such as air-to-air missiles, with the exception of bombs. Hanwha Aerospace plans to debut the "Cheonmu 3.0 System," which combines AI-based precision strike capabilities with loitering munitions (suicide drones), as well as a 5,500 lbf-class turbofan engine to be mounted on unmanned aerial vehicles.