A high-ranking delegation of the Ministry of National Defence led by Major General Pham Truong Son, Deputy Chief of General Staff of the Vietnam People’s Army, on October 17 attended the opening of the Seoul International Aerospace and Defence Exhibition (ADEX 2023) at Seoul Airport in Seongnam city in the Republic of Korea (RoK).

The Vietnamese delegation’s visit to the RoK from October 16-19 is being made at the invitation of the Korean Ministry of National Defence.

On October 17 morning, the delegation attended the ADEX 2023’s opening ceremony which also witnessed the presence of 114 military and defence officers from 55 countries.

Speaking at the ceremony, Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol said that the RoK’s defence industry is writing a new history of creating something new out of nothing. “From a country that once relied on aid and imports, today we have reached a level where not only did we independently develop high-tech fighter jets but export them,” he said.

The President affirmed that the Korean government will establish a business ecosystem to sustain the growth of the RoK’s defence industry.

ADEX 2023 taking place from October 17-22 has six indoor display areas and two outdoor display spaces. The indoor areas are mainly for product models and promotion spaces. Meanwhile, the outdoor areas are for defence products by domestic and foreign defence corporations.

Participants in ADEX 2023 are major enterprises in the RoK and across the world such as Hanwha, LIG Nex1, KAI, Poongsan, Korea Air, and Lockheed Martin.

The Vietnamese delegation visited booths, learning about products and seeking cooperation opportunities as well as the RoK’s event organisation process.

Officials of the host country and defence enterprises from other countries expressed appreciation for the participation of the Vietnamese delegation.

Within the framework of the delegation’s visit to the RoK, the Vietnamese delegation will attend exchange programmes with the RoK’s Ministry of National Defense and Joint Chiefs of Staff on October 17 and 18.

VNA