Korea's largest firefighting industry expo, International Fire Safety Expo 2026, will be held.
On the 17th, the National Fire Agency said International Fire Safety Expo 2026 will take place at EXCO in Daegu from the 20th to the 22nd.
This year's expo is the largest ever, with 448 domestic and overseas firefighting companies participating across an exhibition area of 29,729 square meters (about 9,000 pyeong). Last year, 72,000 people visited the expo, and export and purchasing consultations worth 91.5 billion won were conducted.
The International Fire Safety Expo has been held annually since 2004, following the Daegu subway disaster in 2003, to raise public safety awareness and foster and develop Korea's firefighting industry.
The theme of this year's expo is "AI technological advances that save lives." Programs will be showcased across eight themed zones: ▲ future innovation hall ▲ AI robot zone ▲ drone zone ▲ personal equipment zone ▲ fire engine zone ▲ ESS (energy storage system) zone ▲ fire facilities zone ▲ rescue and emergency zone.
In the outdoor exhibition area, 10 special vehicles, including high-performance (blast-resistant) chemical trucks, unmanned firefighting robots, off-road pumpers, and high-capacity drainage pumps, will be on display and demonstrated.
During the expo, an export consultation hosted by KOTRA and a purchasing consultation hosted by the Korea Commission for Corporate Partnership will also be held. From corporations' consultations to contracts, support will be provided on a "one-stop" basis.
A Fire Summit will also be held, bringing together heads of firefighting and disaster-related agencies from eight countries, including Japan, Singapore, the Philippines, Vietnam, Uzbekistan, Mongolia, Indonesia, and Kyrgyzstan. They plan to discuss cooperation measures to respond to global disaster situations caused by climate change.
Kim Seung-ryong, commissioner of the National Fire Agency, said, "This year's International Fire Safety Expo will serve as a dual-axis venue presenting the future vision of K-firefighting," adding, "We will do our best to ensure it becomes a powerful driver that leads the opening of overseas markets and revitalizes exports for the domestic firefighting industry."