The Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Industry Exhibition (ADEX 2025), in which major defense companies participated, opened on the 20th. This year, ADEX revealed its “K-bang of advance” status by collecting future battlefield technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), human-in-human complex systems, and hypersonic propulsion technologies.
ADEX 2025 was divided into “Public Day” (17th-19th) for the general public and “Business Day” (20th-24th) centered on industry officials. On this day, a full-fledged business exhibition began at KINTEX in Ilsan.
ADEX, a biennial event, was the largest ever with 600 companies from 35 countries participating this year. The figure exceeds the previous competition in 2023 (550 companies from 34 countries). In Korea, Hanwha, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), Hyundai Rotem, and LIG Nex1 have set up large exhibition halls to showcase their next-generation defense competitiveness, focusing on advanced technologies such as AI, autonomy, and hydrogen.
The three Hanwha Defense companies (Hanwha Aerospace, Hanwha System, and Hanwha Ocean) have established the largest integrated building ever with a size of 1960㎡ and have formed 10 zones connecting land, sea, air, and space power. The theme is ‘AI Defense for the Future’. It has brought to the forefront the roaming-type precision-guided weapon L-PGW that combines self-destruction functions, the world’s first self-propelled gun K9A3, and the next-generation strategic ship. While presenting a defense vision that applies AI technology to all weapon systems, it also unveiled a plan to develop a ‘defense Sovereign AI’ that encompasses detection, command control, and strike.
KAI presented the concept of a next-generation air combat system. The multi-purpose unmanned aerial vehicle (AAP) under development was unveiled for the first time, and small-sized armed helicopters (LAH) and aerial launch unmanned aerial vehicles (ALE) were also displayed. It also drew attention from visitors by preparing a simulator that allows them to experience simulated aerial warfare with AI combat pilots (ACP).
Hyundai Rotem presented the future of a comprehensive defense company under the theme of ‘Implementing AI Mobility from the Ground to Space’. For the first time, it unveiled three engines for space launch vehicles, including methane engines, Ducted Ramjet engines, and dual Ramjet engines, and introduced AI and hydrogen-based unmanned mobility platform “Blackvale” and hydrogen armoured vehicles together.
Kia, a subsidiary of the same group, first unveiled the “Tasman Military Command Vehicle” in charge of military mobility. The pickup truck-based Tasman has strengthened operational capabilities by installing radios and antennas, and was recently selected as the standard command vehicle for the South Korean military.
LIG Nex1 has formed five major exhibition zones (detection, defense, command, control, and command) under the theme of “50 years of change and 50 years of leap forward.” In addition to the first long-range air-to-ground missile in Korea, “Cheonryong”, three types of aviation armaments were introduced for the first time: domestic short-range air-to-air missiles, and modular guided missiles capable of striking ships and ground targets and disturbing radio waves. The weapons will be mounted on a Korean-style fighter jet called “Boramae” (KF-21).
Korean Air has introduced three types of unmanned aerial vehicles for the first time, and has entered the competition for a human-in-human complex system. Among them, the Jeopardy Tam unmanned squadron is the first large jet drone in Korea to be equipped with stealth design, and it is possible to fly manned fighter jets and cooperative squadrons. Korean Air is developing AI-based autonomous mission performance technology and is promoting the advancement of its operating system in cooperation with the U.S. Anduril.
The Defense Acquisition Program Administration operates an “integrated public relations center” and promotes the defense R&D process, which extends to R&D, acquisition, test evaluation, and quality assurance, and the results of remodeling and development of weapons systems for defense exports.
The opening ceremony was attended by Defense Minister Ahn Kyu-baek, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Jin Young-seung, and the Chief of Staff of the 3rd Army, as well as vice ministers, Defense Acquisition Program Administration Director Seok Jong-gun, and Aerospace Administration Director Yoon Young-bin. More than 470 domestic and foreign figures, including major defense companies and academic representatives, foreign envoys to Korea and overseas participants, also attended.
In the wake of this ADEX, military and defense diplomacy ‘high air warfare’ was also actively conducted. On this day alone, Minister Ahn held a series of meetings with Saudi Arabia’s General Staff, the National Guard’s General, the UAE Air Defense Commander, and the NATO Deputy Secretary-General to discuss defense and defense cooperation.
Each of these countries introduced the K9 self-propelled artillery and K10 ammunition carrier package, which are the representative weapons systems of K-bangsan, and the medium-range surface-to-air guided weapons (M-SAM) Cheongung II. South Korea is working hard to strengthen additional defense exports and military cooperation as well as continuous arms system maintenance, repair, and maintenance (MRO) cooperation with these countries.
[Reporter Park Seungjoo / Reporter Kim Sung Hoon]
