KORDEF 2026

After being known over the years by names such as LANPAC Korea/TechNet and others, the annual defense expo held at Camp Humphreys now appears to be establishing a clearer identity under the name KORDEF, the Korea Defense Symposium and Exposition. 

In my view, the value of this event has long been underestimated. For Korean small and medium-sized defense enterprises, it offers a rare and highly practical opportunity to engage directly with operators, requirements generators, and policy planners on the peninsula. That kind of access is difficult to replicate elsewhere and can be especially meaningful for companies seeking to better understand operational needs, align their capabilities with actual demand, and build relevant relationships within the U.S. defense community in Korea.

One encouraging sign is the growing recognition within USFK leadership of the event’s strategic and practical value. If that trend continues, KORDEF is likely to grow further in both relevance and impact. I hope the ROK government and industry leaders will also come to recognize the importance of this platform and participate more actively and systematically. From Korea’s perspective, greater engagement would not only help strengthen relationships across the alliance, but also create more meaningful opportunities for Korean SMEs to pursue concrete business and cooperation pathways—perhaps more directly than many defense expos held elsewhere outside the peninsula.

There is still room for improvement in areas such as event organization, base access management, and the exhibition venue itself. Even so, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the panel discussions. On the whole, it is an event well worth attending.