Becoming Largest Aerospace and Defense Exhibition in Asia-Pacific Region

Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition (Seoul ADEX) 2013 takes place at the KINTEX Convention Center in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province and the Cheongju International Airport between October 25 and November 3. At the airport, the Black Eagle Team of the Republic of Korea Air Force will join the air show with 100 or so units of aircraft for three days from October 25. 

Between October 29 and November 3, aerospace and defense industry exhibitions will be held at the KINTEX Convention Center along with a number of seminars to be attended by personnel from the private, public, and defense sectors. The Prime Minister will participate in the events as the honorary chairman, and the Ministers of National Defense, Trade, Industry & Energy, and Land Infrastructure & Transport will take on roles as honorary vice chairmen.

During the exhibitions, high-tech army, naval, and air force weapons, space launch vehicles, and satellites will be on display to give a clue to the present and future of the aerospace and defense industries. Approximately 330 companies from 32 countries are scheduled to join the fairs to turn them into the largest exhibition in the history of the local industries. 

The Republic of Korea Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps will set up their own booths in the venue to promote their advanced weaponry and operational capabilities. The Agency for Defense Development will exhibit domestically-developed weapons, future-oriented technologies, and the results of technological cooperation with the private sector as well.

The air show at the Cheongju International Airport will follow the opening ceremony hosted by the Minister of National Defense on October 25. The purpose of the show, which is open and free to the public, is to increase the public awareness of the country’s aerospace industry and let the general public become more familiar with it by means of pilot and flight experiences, honor guard marching, etc.

The Air Force Military Band will stage a concert with citizens in the evening at the Cheongju Arts Center too.

In the meantime, the International Aerospace Symposium is scheduled for October 28 under the theme of “Enhancement of National Defense Capabilities and Promotion of Aerospace Industry to Coincide with Changes in Defense Industry Environments.”

Attended by the Air Force Chiefs of Staff of 14 countries, including Canada, Indonesia, and Peru, the symposium will be a nice opportunity to look into the Northeast Asian security environments with renowned speakers.

In the evening of that day, the Prime Minister of Korea will preside over a banquet so that the invitees and entrepreneurs both at home and abroad can meet with each other.

In the Business Day sessions from October 29 to November 1, around 90 participants from 70 or so countries will take part, including defense ministers, high-ranking military personnel, and national defense experts.

The hosting organization is expecting that the sessions will become nice business opportunities and forums of diplomatic exchange. To this end, the ROK Army and Air Force will have a chief of staff meeting and provide field force visit programs for the marketing of their advanced weaponry, examples of which include the KT-1 trainer, T-50 advanced jet trainer, Surion helicopter, K-9 self-propelled gun, K-10 ammunition resupply vehicle, and K-21 armored vehicle.

In addition, seminars for the development of the defense industry, private-public policy discussion sessions, and seminars on unmanned systems will be held at the convention center to attract visitors. From October 29, the ROK Army Honor Guard and Military Band will stage their performances, and the Special Forces will show martial arts demonstrations to make the festivities more colorful. B-boy teams are going to add flavor to the demonstrations, too.