In the afternoon on the 20th at Kintex in Ilsan, Gyeonggi, where the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX) was held. A dozen or so Philippine Army generals and staff in teal uniforms approached the Korean Air booth and closely examined the prototype of the medium strike UAV and the model of the small cooperative UAV that Korean Air displayed. The Philippines is a country that has introduced many of Korea's FA-50 multirole fighters.

Korean Air exhibits a full-scale Low Observable Unmanned Swarm (LOWUS) aircraft at the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX) held at KINTEX in Ilsan on the 20th. /Courtesy of Kim Ji-hwan

At this year's ADEX, military generals and defense customers from around the world flocked to observe Korea's weapons systems. Foot traffic continued not only at large companies but also at mid-sized firms such as SNT Dynamics and Poongsan. ADEX, which runs through Oct. 24, drew 600 companies from 35 countries. Both the number of participating countries and companies are the largest ever.

The main focus of Hanwha Group's booth was Hanwha Systems. Hanwha Systems displayed a mock-up (a physical realization of an early product concept) of an ultra-low orbit SAR (synthetic aperture radar) satellite that it is currently developing independently. The VELO UHR SAR satellite can identify objects as small as 15 cm. The world-class benchmark is known to be 25 cm-class SAR satellites, and this surpasses that resolution. Hanwha Systems also exhibited an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar.

Hanwha Aerospace unveils Arionsmet, Grunt, and the Korean orbital unmanned ground vehicle 'Themis' at the MUM-T zone of ADEX2025 held at KINTEX on the 20th. /Courtesy of Hanwha Aerospace

Hanwha Aerospace organized its booth around aircraft engines and manned-unmanned teaming systems. It introduced a lineup of small UGVs spanning the Korea-style unmanned ground vehicle THeMIS-K, Arion-SMET, and GRUNT.

Hyundai Rotem unveils a ducted ramjet engine and a hypersonic ramjet engine at the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX). /Courtesy of Hyundai Rotem

At Hyundai Motor Group's integrated pavilion, Hyundai Rotem, HYUNDAI WIA, and Kia each displayed products. Hyundai Rotem, focused on ground weapons including the K2 tank, unveiled a methane engine lineup cited as its next-generation growth driver. They are a 10-ton-class methane engine and a 3.5-ton-class reusable methane engine. It also showcased a ducted ramjet engine for cruise vehicles and a hypersonic dual-ramjet engine.

Hyundai Rotem reveals a methane engine at the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX) held at KINTEX in Ilsan on the 20th. /Courtesy of Kim Ji-hwan
HYUNDAI WIA displays a remote controlled weapon station (RCWS) at the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX) held at KINTEX in Ilsan on the 20th. /Courtesy of News1

LIG Nex1 exhibited various guided weapons mounted on the next-generation fighter KF-21 platform. It showcased systems ranging from short-range air-to-air missiles currently under development to long-range air-to-ground missiles. It also unveiled the next-generation unmanned vehicle G-Sword. Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) displayed a future battlefield visualization system that conducts missions with the help of artificial intelligence.

Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) exhibits a model of the KF-21 and models of various guided weapons to be mounted on the KF-21 at the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition (ADEX). /Courtesy of Kim Ji-hwan
Visitors at the LIG booth at ADEX 2025, the Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition, inspect three types of aircraft armaments to be mounted on the KF-21 on the 20th. /Courtesy of Yonhap News

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