▲ This undated file photo, provided by the Air Force, shows FA-50 and T-50 aircraft. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

S Korea-defense exhibition

S. Korea to hold int'l defense exhibition next week

SEOUL, Oct. 11 (Yonhap) -- South Korea will hold an international defense exhibition next week to feature advanced homegrown military hardware and technologies, organizers said Wednesday, amid Seoul's push to become a major player in the global defense market.

The six-day Seoul International Aerospace & Defense Exhibition 2023 will kick off next Tuesday at Seoul Air Base in Seongnam, just south of Seoul, involving 550 companies from 35 countries, according to the organizers.

It is expected to draw some 290,000 visitors, including over 114 military and defense officials from 55 countries, marking the largest-ever edition of the biennial event that first launched in 1996.

The exhibition will showcase various homegrown aircraft and ground-based equipment, including the KF-21 fighter jet under development, FA-50 light attack aircraft, K2 main battle tanks and K9A1 self-propelled howitzers.

The U.S. military will also feature F-22 and FA-18G aircraft during the exhibition to mark the 70th anniversary of the South Korea-U.S. alliance this year. Organizers said they are also in talks for the U.S. military to send a strategic bomber for the event.

The exhibition is also expected to be attended by defense chiefs from nine countries, including Malaysia, Australia and Iraq, and serve as a venue for security talks.

Last year, South Korea unveiled the goal of becoming the world's fourth-largest defense exporter by 2027.

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