Seoul: South Korea's largest aerospace and defense trade show ended after an eight-day run earlier this week, with high-ranking foreign military officials showing keen interest in South Korean-made weapons systems, its organizers said Sunday.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX) ran from Oct. 17-24 at Seoul Air Base and KINTEX, both just outside of Seoul. A record 600 defense firms from 35 countries participated in the biennial exhibition. The event saw consultations over potential business deals valued at US$44.9 billion, marking a 52.7 percent increase from the previous show in 2023.
"Consultations increased on the back of growing trust in the South Korean defense industry amid global security uncertainties," an ADEX official stated. Organizers noted that foreign military officials particularly expressed interest in South Korea's homegrown KF-21 fighter jet, as well as K2 tanks and K9 self-propelled howitzers.
The number of overall visitors also rose 19.5 percent from two years ago to 263,283 this year, organizers reported. South Korea has experienced a sharp increase in overseas demand for its weapons systems following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, securing significant deals on the exports of self-propelled howitzers, tanks, and multiple rocket launchers.