At the 2025 International Maritime Defense Industry Exhibition (MADEX), where the state-of-the-art naval weapon systems could be seen at a glance, leaders from HD Hyundai Heavy Industries and Hanwha Ocean, South Korea's leading marine defense companies, all attended. Jeong Ik-seon, vice chairman of HD Hyundai, shouted, 'Let's go together' with Shin Ik-hyun, CEO of LIG Nex1, and Kim Dong-kwan, vice chairman of Hanwha Group, left the venue after reviewing the company's future destroyer.
Dressed in a light green tie, Vice Chairman Jeong appeared at the MADEX held at BEXCO in Busan on the 28th, where he toured the joint booth of HD Hyundai and LIG Nex1. He stated, 'We will create the best vessels that support global maritime security beyond South Korea's maritime defense based on advanced technologies such as AI (Artificial Intelligence) and unmanned systems.' He then exchanged opinions with representatives and corporate officials from various countries regarding the entire naval project.
Referring to his company's promotional video, Vice Chairman Jeong noted, 'General Lee Dae-yong was the greatest shipbuilding technologist in the Joseon era, having designed and constructed the turtle ship, and he inspired our founder, Jeong Ju-young.' He added, 'As a result, HD Hyundai was able to become the world's leading shipbuilding nation by producing a total of 106 vessels, starting with the Ulsan-class, South Korea's first combat ship, and exporting 18 of them overseas.'
Since HD Hyundai and LIG Nex1 had jointly set up a booth, a program was also held together. This event was organized to introduce South Korea's naval technology and explore cooperative measures for maritime defense with various countries. Both Vice Chairman Jeong and CEO Shin raised their glasses and exclaimed, 'Let's go together.' The event was attended by Admiral Yang Yong-mo, Chief of Naval Operations, and Neil Cofranceski, Commander of the U.S. Naval Forces Korea, as well as officials from seven countries, including Peru, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, Thailand, Colombia, and Kenya.
At MADEX, HD Hyundai and LIG Nex1 prepared a unified exhibition hall covering 218 square meters, where they unveiled an export-type frigate and AI-based future unmanned combat vessels for the first time. A representative model was the newly debuted 6,500-ton frigate designed for open-ocean operations. Models of 2,300-ton, 1,500-ton, and 800-ton submarines were also showcased, which are intended for overseas market targets. They also presented a mobile unmanned power control vessel for integrated systems and future unmanned power carriers, as well as unmanned combat surface vessels.
Vice Chairman Kim also attended MADEX that day and visited the integrated hall of the three defense subsidiaries of Hanwha Group. Dressed in a sky-blue tie, Vice Chairman Kim briefly stayed in front of the prototype of the future destroyer and next-generation frigate, which Hanwha Ocean first unveiled at this event, to hear explanations. After meeting with overseas officials, he left the venue. According to Hanwha, Vice Chairman Kim mentioned during his meeting with the overseas officials, 'Hanwha is deeply reflecting on the founding spirit of serving the nation in an increasingly competitive global business environment.'
Hanwha Ocean, Hanwha Aerospace, and Hanwha Systems prominently featured unmanned systems. They exhibited models of the combat-type unmanned surface vessel and unmanned command systems currently under development. Among these, the future destroyer was the only exhibit for which Vice Chairman Kim received an explanation. Hanwha Systems is notable for its ability to command multiple combat-type unmanned surface vessels, self-destructing unmanned surface vessels, and unmanned submarines simultaneously using low-altitude satellites and artificial intelligence.