South Korea will hold an international defense exhibition in October to showcase advanced military hardware and technologies, organizers said Monday, amid Seoul's push to become a major player in the global arms market.
The six-day Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition (ADEX) 2023 will kick off on Oct. 17 at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, involving 550 companies from 35 countries, the organizers said.
It would mark the largest-ever edition of the exhibition, which first launched in 1996.
During this year's event, the organizers seek to hold various aircraft demonstrations and exhibit advanced military assets and equipment, including F-35 radar evading fighter jets, FA-50 light attack aircraft, K2 battle tanks and K9A1 self-propelled howitzers.
They are also in talks with the U.S. military to showcase its aircraft and other assets to mark the 70th anniversary of the South Korea-U.S. alliance this year, an official told reporters.
The first four days will host various seminars and forums for defense industry officials before the exhibition is opened to the general public in the last two days.
The exhibition's previous edition in 2021 featured hydrogen-fuel drones, virtual reality-based training systems, laser weapons systems and multipurpose unmanned vehicles, as well as military aircraft, including FA-50 fighters.
This year's event will take place after South Korea unveiled a goal last year to become the world's fourth-largest defense exporter by 2027.
Source: Yonhap News Agency