‘Yi Sun-shin Defense Industry Exhibition’ opens with Korea’s cutting-edge weapons in one place

150 internal and external booths set up, including Hanwha’s three defense companies
Export consultation for over 70 domestic and foreign companies ‘Expecting results’

The ‘2024 Yi Sun-sin Defense Industry Exhibition (YIDEX)’, which provides a glimpse of Korea’s land, sea, and air defense weapons systems, has opened.

Changwon City announced that it held the YIDEX opening ceremony at the Jinhae Naval Academy on the afternoon of the 24th. YIDEX, now in its 4th year, was hosted by the city and the Navy, and was held with an expanded exhibition scale compared to previous years, as well as export consultations, academic seminars, and citizen experience events.

On this day, starting with a fanfare performance by the Navy military band at the Ungpo Auditorium of the Naval Academy, events such as an opening ceremony and a promotional video for the unmanned combat system were held, followed by the opening tape cutting of the weapon system exhibition hall and an air show by the Black Eagles.

The Naval Academy training ground facing the sea is equipped with about 30 state-of-the-art land, sea, and air weapons, including wheeled armored vehicles (K808), medium-range guided weapons for infantry, K1A2 tanks, and K9A1 self-propelled guns, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles for battalion reconnaissance and MUH-1 (Marine On). An actual weapon system was displayed.

At the internal event venue, about 70 companies set up booths, focusing on the large booths of the three defense companies of the Hanwha Group (Hanwha Systems, Hanwha Aerospace, and Hanwha Ocean), Hyundai Rotem, and LIG Nex1. Including the outside of the event venue, a total of 150 booths were set up, adding to the richness of the event.

The next day, the 25th, various academic events were also prepared, including the ‘2024 Ship Technology and Weapon System Seminar’ jointly hosted by the Navy and the Korean Society of Shipbuilding and the ‘Chungmugong Academic Seminar’ hosted by the Naval Academy Maritime Research Institute on the 26th.

In particular, a business export consultation meeting will be held in which about 10 foreign companies and 60 domestic companies will participate, so many export contracts are expected to result.

On Saturday, the last day of the event, a variety of things to see and enjoy are provided, including a military music concert, Navy honor guard, ship unveiling, Taekwondo demonstration, turtle ship boarding experience, and ship assembly block experience.

Changwon Mayor Hong Nam-pyo said, “I hope this event will be a valuable time for domestic and foreign defense industry officials to communicate and exchange for the future of the defense industry in line with the 4th Industrial Revolution.”

Vice Chief of Naval Staff Kang Dong-gil emphasized, “Our Navy, which aims to build a future naval power based on cutting-edge science and technology, will strive to actively support the government’s maritime defense exports through the Yi Sun-sin Defense Industry Exhibition.”

Hyundai Rotem booth participating in the ‘2024 Yi Sun-sin Defense Industry Exhibition (YIDEX)’, which provides a glimpse of Korea’s cutting-edge defense weapons systems held at the Jinhae Naval Academy in Changwon-si, Gyeongsangnam-do on the 24th. a mighty reporter

Reporter Kang Dae-han [email protected]