[비즈한국] KADEX 2024, an international defense industry exhibition hosted by the Republic of Korea Army Association, kicked off on the 2nd at Gyeryongdae, South Chungcheong Province. The opening ceremony of the exhibition, which runs until the 6th, was attended by key domestic and international defense figures, including Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, Army Chief of Staff Park An-su, Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA) Commissioner Seok Jong-gun, the Commander of the Eighth United States Army, the Polish Deputy Minister of National Defense, and the Commander of the Cambodian Army. However, as this is the event's inaugural year, concerns about insufficient preparations have also been raised.
KADEX 2024 is held in a tent exhibition hall measuring 150 meters wide and 340 meters long, installed on the emergency runway at Gyeryongdae. According to the organizers, the exhibition area of 37,600㎡ is equivalent to the size of all four halls at the COEX in Seoul, which total 36,007㎡.
A total of 365 companies are participating in the exhibition, occupying 1,432 booths. Attendees include 21 companies from 14 foreign countries, such as the world's largest defense contractor, Lockheed Martin, as well as leading domestic defense firms like Hanwha Aerospace012450, Hyundai Rotem064350, and LIG Nex1079550. In addition, 46 delegations from 27 countries, including defense ministers from 7 countries and chief-of-staff-level personnel from 17 countries, are visiting the event.
KADEX 2024 has drawn attention in the defense industry for being held just one week apart from DX Korea (Defense Expo Korea), which is nearly identical in nature as a ground-based defense industry exhibition. The industry views the split as the result of escalating conflict between the organizer, the Army Association, and the manager, Defense Expo, over profit distribution—a situation that arose after DX Korea turned a profit starting in 2022 following five years of losses.
The Army Association claimed that Defense Expo lacked transparency in accounting by overestimating exhibition costs, while Defense Expo countered that the Army Association was plotting to oust them. The conflict eventually led to legal battles, resulting in both sides holding their own separate defense exhibitions.
Experts are watching closely to see how the split exhibition will affect the success of so-called "K-Defense," which is currently enjoying an unprecedented boom overseas. Some suggest that since defense exhibitions involve public funding to some extent, the Ministry of National Defense should take charge of managing the 2026 exhibition.
The forecast for heavy rain in the South Chungcheong region on the 3rd is another cause for concern, as the exhibition is being held in temporary tents. According to the Korea Meteorological Administration, 20 to 60mm of precipitation is expected on Thursday the 3rd, which is also National Foundation Day, and on the 4th. The tents currently installed on the runway are equipped with electricity, water, communication networks, as well as sound and broadcasting facilities. A military official said, "With heavy rain expected tomorrow, I am worried about whether the temporary tents will hold up. I especially hope that facilities such as communications and electronics equipment will not suffer any damage."
The tents installed for the exhibition are reportedly of Chinese origin. It has been pointed out that Chinese-made aluminum hall tents are vulnerable to strong winds, raising safety concerns. For instance, the ADEX exhibition held last year utilized TFS (Temporary Fabric Structure) tents. TFS tents feature a streamlined design with 56-degree side edges, which can effectively reduce wind resistance. In contrast, the KADEX 2024 tents have a structure where vertical poles are erected and covered with fabric, making them more vulnerable to strong winds compared to TFS tents.
Furthermore, because the Gyeryong Military Culture Festival and the Ground Forces Festival are being held simultaneously for the first time this year, there has been confusion among citizens regarding entry. This defense exhibition is designated as a "Business Day" event from the 2nd to the 4th, open only to authorized personnel, while the general public can visit from the 5th to the 6th. General citizens who attended the nearby Gyeryong Military Culture Festival and Ground Forces Festival expressed frustration after being told they could not enter the KADEX booths. A citizen from Daejeon surnamed A complained, "I visited with my family because I heard the world's best defense exhibition was being held. Since I was told the general public couldn't enter, I'm only seeing the weapons displayed in front of the runway before leaving. It was disappointing that there wasn't proper guidance, and the parking lot was so congested that it took about an hour and a half just to park."