SEOUL, Republic of Korea — September 2026 — Recent South Korean defense programs overseas are placing greater emphasis on local production, technology cooperation and industrial participation alongside conventional equipment exports, with projects in Poland and Romania providing clear examples of the approach.
In Poland, a second executive contract signed with Hyundai Rotem in August 2025 covers 180 additional K2 main battle tanks, including 64 in the K2PL configuration. Under the agreement, 61 K2PL tanks are to be produced by Bumar-Łabędy in Gliwice, while the first three will be manufactured in South Korea for testing. The Polish Ministry of National Defence has also confirmed that the program includes technology transfer and the establishment of domestic production, service and maintenance capabilities.
Romania is pursuing a similar industrial component around its K9 self-propelled howitzer program. In February 2026, Hanwha Aerospace broke ground on its first European production facility in Petrești, Dâmbovița County. The Hanwha Armoured Vehicle Centre of Excellence Europe will initially support local production of the K9 and K10 ammunition resupply vehicle and provide assembly, integration, testing and lifecycle-support capabilities. Hanwha has said it is targeting localization of up to 80% through Romanian industry participation.
While the Polish and Romanian programs differ in structure, both extend cooperation beyond equipment delivery into local production, sustainment and domestic industrial participation.
The development is also reflected in policy measures introduced by South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration. In June, DAPA revised export-related regulations to streamline technology-transfer contract procedures and expand exemptions for the export approval of maintenance spare parts. The agency said the changes were introduced as Korean defense exports expand and destination markets diversify, increasing industry demand for faster export and technology-transfer procedures.
DAPA has also identified international defense cooperation and export support as priorities for the second half of 2026, alongside broader efforts to strengthen the competitiveness and overseas participation of Korea’s defense-industrial base. The direction reflects a policy environment in which exports, industrial cooperation and participation in international defense supply chains are becoming increasingly interconnected.
Against this backdrop, K-DEX 2026 is preparing to bring Korean and international defense companies together with government, military and procurement stakeholders as industrial cooperation assumes a larger role in international defense business.
K-DEX 2026 will be the first edition held following the integration of KADEX and DX KOREA into a single international ground defense exhibition. The event will take place from December 8 to 11, 2026, at KINTEX Exhibition Center 2 in Goyang, Republic of Korea.
Exhibitor applications have exceeded 1,700 booths, while national pavilions from 10 countries — the United States, India, Canada, Norway, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, Latvia, Portugal and Saudi Arabia — have been confirmed for the December exhibition.
The international participation is being developed alongside business programs intended to create direct engagement between industry and defense decision-makers. K-DEX will organize B2B and G2B meetings, together with engagement involving official military and government delegations, procurement stakeholders, defense attachés and industry representatives. The official exhibition program also includes exhibitor technology presentations, seminars and networking activities.
For international companies, the format is intended to provide access not only to potential customers but also to Korean manufacturers and technology partners. For Korean companies, the same platform provides an opportunity to identify overseas procurement requirements and explore potential industrial relationships in international markets.
K-DEX will further support country-level engagement through its National Defense Briefing, where participating countries will be able to introduce national defense strategies, weapons requirements and industry capabilities. The program is designed to give companies greater visibility into national requirements while creating a setting for discussions on potential defense and industrial cooperation.
The relevance of these exchanges is becoming increasingly visible in programs such as those underway in Poland and Romania. Decisions surrounding major defense acquisitions can extend beyond the platforms themselves to questions of production, maintenance, technology cooperation and the participation of domestic industry.
For K-DEX 2026, that environment broadens the role of the exhibition beyond showcasing equipment. By bringing together Korean and overseas defense industries, national pavilions, government and military stakeholders, the event is intended to provide a venue where procurement requirements and longer-term industrial partnerships can be discussed within the same platform.
As Korea’s defense companies expand their international activities and overseas partners seek deeper engagement with the Korean defense-industrial base, K-DEX 2026 aims to serve as a practical point of contact for identifying new business, supply-chain and industrial cooperation opportunities.
