SEOUL, Republic of Korea — September 2026 — K-DEX 2026 has outlined a broader international conference and business-engagement program ahead of its first integrated edition this December, bringing together strategic dialogue, country-level defense briefings and direct industry engagement within a single platform.
The program is designed to connect discussions on the international security environment with more practical questions surrounding military modernization, procurement requirements and defense-industrial cooperation.
A key component will be the K-DEX 2026 Global Summit, including the GLOBSEC Korea Dialogue: The Next Alliance, co-hosted by GLOBSEC and K-DEX.
GLOBSEC is an independent, non-partisan policy institution with roots in Central Europe that brings together public- and private-sector leaders and experts to address issues including European security, resilience and competitiveness.
At K-DEX, the GLOBSEC Korea Dialogue will focus on the evolving security and defense-industrial relationship between Europe and Asia through two sessions.
The first, scheduled for December 8, “Like-Minded and Ready to Act: European and Asian Partners Working Together for More Security,” will examine how European and Asian partners can deepen cooperation in response to a changing international security environment.
A second session on December 9, “From Procurement to Partnership: Europe and Asia in the Defence Industrial Landscape,” will turn to the industrial dimension, examining how relationships between European and Asian defense markets can develop beyond individual procurement programs toward broader forms of partnership.
While the GLOBSEC Korea Dialogue will address security and defense-industrial issues at a broader strategic level, the National Defense Briefing will provide a more country-specific view of defense priorities and procurement requirements.
Participating countries will use the program to present their national defense environments, military modernization plans, procurement needs and industry capabilities to Korean and international companies, government representatives and other defense stakeholders.
Eleven countries are currently represented in the National Defense Briefing program: the United States, Saudi Arabia, India, Norway, Finland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Canada, Latvia, Australia and Portugal.
The briefings are intended to go beyond conventional country or company presentations by giving industry participants greater visibility into national requirements and potential areas for cooperation.
For companies evaluating new markets, this can provide a clearer view of how individual countries are approaching modernization, what capability requirements are emerging and where future procurement or industrial opportunities may develop.
K-DEX will then connect these country-level discussions with its B2B and G2B programs, providing opportunities for companies to engage directly with industry, government, military and procurement stakeholders.
The structure creates a progression across the exhibition: broader strategic discussions through the Global Summit, country-specific modernization and procurement information through the National Defense Briefing, and direct engagement through business meetings.
For international companies, the format provides an opportunity to better understand the Korean defense market while establishing contacts with Korean manufacturers, technology partners and relevant institutional stakeholders. Korean companies, meanwhile, can gain greater visibility into overseas requirements and explore potential partnerships with governments and industry representatives from participating markets.
The approach reflects K-DEX’s effort to integrate its exhibition, conference and business programs rather than operate them as separate activities.
The GLOBSEC Korea Dialogue provides the strategic context. The National Defense Briefing brings individual countries’ defense priorities and procurement needs into sharper focus. B2B and G2B meetings are intended to provide a practical setting in which those requirements and potential areas of cooperation can be discussed directly.
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.
With its international programs taking shape, visitor pre-registration for K-DEX 2026 is now open.
Defense-industry professionals, buyers, military personnel and other eligible visitors planning to attend the December exhibition can register in advance through the official K-DEX website. As K-DEX is a paid-admission exhibition, pre-registered visitors may receive discounted or free admission depending on their eligibility, while advance registration also enables a faster on-site entry process.
The opening of visitor registration comes as details of the Global Summit, National Defense Briefing and business programs continue to take shape, giving defense professionals an opportunity to plan their participation ahead of the December event.
For visitors interested in the Korean defense market, overseas procurement requirements and emerging opportunities for international defense cooperation, K-DEX 2026 will bring those discussions together across the exhibition floor, conference program and business meetings.
Visitor pre-registration is available through the official K-DEX 2026 website.
The exhibition is hosted by the Korea Defense Industry Association (KDIA), the Association of the Republic of Korea Army (AROKA) and the Korea Defense Industry MICE Association (KDM), and organized by Defense Expo, MindsGround and MESSE ESANG.
