The exponential growth of the Korean defence industry is reflected in the growing stature of Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX), the largest and most comprehensive trade show in Northeast Asia.

The next edition will see the event expanding substantially in size as well, says Korea Aerospace Industries Association (KAIA) Vice Chairman Kim Min Seok. Construction of a new building for the indoor exhibition area is expected to begin in November this year, soon after the curtains come down on the current edition of the event.

“ADEX is now among the top five trade shows in the world in terms of size,” said Min Seok in an exclusive interview with Daily News. “In 2025, we will become the third largest trade fair in the world after the Paris and Farnborough airshows. Compared to the Singapore Airshow, we have a smaller exhibit area for now, but by 2025, we will have 40,000 m2 of indoor exhibition space, compared to their 37,000 m2.”

The new building will add 9,000 sq meters of indoor exhibition space, said Min Seok. The expansion plans do not end there. By the 2027 edition of the biennial event, the organizers would have added a second building, further expanding the exhibition space. There are also plans to make the outdoor exhibition area larger as well, adding more space for chalets.

“In 2019 and 2021, we closed bookings for indoor exhibition space in June,” said the KAIA vice chairman. “This time, we ran out of exhibition area space and had to close bookings in January. The exhibition area has been expanded and we have a 30 % increase in the number of exhibitors. The waiting list we had this year is longer than in previous editions.”

The mass production of Korea Aerospace Industries’ (KAI) KF-21 Boramae is expected to commence next year. The combat aircraft is expected to enter service in 2026, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. The company is also developing an unmanned version of its FA-50 Fighting Eagle light combat aircraft to serve as a loyal wingman for the KF-21 Boramae.

Min Seok believes the growth of the event is testament to the speedy and sustained growth of the country’s defence industry. “The KF-21 Boramae is just one of the sophisticated weapons that our industry is known for,” he said. IDEX offers us a great opportunity to showcase all the exciting products and capabilities that our companies have to offer. IDEX is a great opportunity for us to showcase all the exciting products and capabilities that our companies have to offer. We want to celebrate our companies in the best possible manner.

“There is so much interest in the South Korean defence industry these days,” Min Seok added. “This has resulted in a huge increase in the number of international visitors to ADEX. We get people from all over the world, especially from the United States, Europe, and Asia. This year, we sent 201 invitation letters to delegations in 75 countries. We have more than 100 official delegations attending. We anticipate this year’s event to attract 300,000 visitors.”

There are two main reasons for the eye-catching growth of the South Korean defence industry said Min Seok. “We have a very active industry; our association itself has 120 members. Like other countries, we went through a tough time during the pandemic, but we just kept going, doing what he had to do to make our domestic industry more resilient. The products that we make are proven and they are significantly less expensive than those made in Europe or North America.”

With companies such as Boeing and Airbus actively pursuing Korean industry partnerships, the future is bright for domestic companies, said Min Seok. “Many of the major international companies have a sizable footprint here and are looking to expand. At the end of this year or early next year, South Korea will launch an independent aerospace administration to assume charge of space programs and aeronautics research. There is a lot happening in the aerospace and defence sector.”’

The next edition will see the event expanding substantially in size as well, says Korea Aerospace Industries Association (KAIA) Vice Chairman Kim Min Seok. Construction of a new building for the indoor exhibition area is expected to begin in November this year, soon after the curtains come down on the current edition of the event.

“ADEX is now among the top five trade shows in the world in terms of size,” said Min Seok in an exclusive interview with Daily News. “In 2025, we will become the third largest trade fair in the world after the Paris and Farnborough airshows. Compared to the Singapore Airshow, we have a smaller exhibit area for now, but by 2025, we will have 40,000 m2 of indoor exhibition space, compared to their 37,000 m2.”

The new building will add 9,000 sq meters of indoor exhibition space, said Min Seok. The expansion plans do not end there. By the 2027 edition of the biennial event, the organizers would have added a second building, further expanding the exhibition space. There are plans to make the outdoor exhibition area larger as well, adding more space for chalets.
“In 2019 and 2021, we closed bookings for indoor exhibition space in June,” said the KAIA vice chairman. “This time, we ran out of exhibition area space and had to close bookings in January. The exhibition area has been expanded and we have a 30 % increase in the number of exhibitors. The waiting list we had this year is longer than in previous editions.”

The mass production of Korea Aerospace Industries’ (KAI) KF-21 Boramae is expected to commence next year. The combat aircraft is expected to enter service in 2026, according to the Defense Acquisition Program Administration. The company is also developing an unmanned version of its FA-50 Fighting Eagle light combat aircraft to serve as a loyal wingman for the KF-21 Boramae.

Min Seok believes the growth of the event is testament to the speedy and sustained growth of the country’s defence industry. “The KF-21 Boramae is just one of the sophisticated weapons that our industry is known for,” he said. IDEX offers us a great opportunity to showcase all the exciting products and capabilities that our companies have to offer. IDEX is a great opportunity for us to showcase all the exciting products and capabilities that our companies have to offer. We want to celebrate our companies in the best possible manner.

“There is so much interest in the South Korean defence industry these days,” Min Seok added. “This has resulted in a huge increase in the number of international visitors to ADEX. We get people from all over the world, especially from the United States, Europe, and Asia. This year, we sent 201 invitation letters to delegations in 75 countries. We have more than 100 official delegations attending. We anticipate this year’s event to attract 300,000 visitors.”

There are two main reasons for the eye-catching growth of the South Korean defence industry said Min Seok. “We have a very active industry; our association itself has 120 members. Like other countries, we went through a tough time during the pandemic, but we just kept going, doing what he had to do to make our domestic industry more resilient. The products that we make are proven and they are significantly less expensive than those made in Europe or North America.”

With companies such as Boeing and Airbus actively pursuing Korean industry partnerships, the future is bright for domestic companies, said Min Seok. “Many of the major international companies have a sizable footprint here and are looking to expand. At the end of this year or early next year, South Korea will launch an independent aerospace administration to assume charge of space programs and aeronautics research. There is a lot happening in the aerospace and defence sector.”