Korea Industrial Complex Corporation Hosts 1st Korea Export Fair
Linked Event Celebrates Industrial Complex Day on September 14
One-on-One Meetings with Global Buyers Draw Crowds
"We aim to turn this event into an expo on par with CES in the United States and the Canton Fair in China."
This was the ambition expressed by Lee Gyeu, Chairman of the Korea Industrial Complex Managers Association, at the "2025 Industrial Complex Day" commemorative event held on the 10th at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. In celebration of "Industrial Complex Day" on September 14, the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation has been hosting "Industrial Complex Week" for one week starting from September 8. On this day, the 1st Korea Industrial Complex Export Fair (KICEF 2025) also opened at the venue.
KICEF 2025 was organized to carry on the aspirations of the "1st Korea Trade Fair" held at the Guro Industrial Complex in 1968, which aimed to establish Korea as an export powerhouse. The event seeks to provide practical support for expanding exports and driving technological innovation based on industrial complexes. More than 300 companies from all industrial sectors, including machinery, biotechnology, renewable energy, shipbuilding, automobiles, and artificial intelligence (AI), participated in the fair to showcase their technologies and products.
The majority of participating companies are just preparing to enter overseas markets. The CEO of a manufacturing AI solutions company said, "The domestic market is small, and for small and medium-sized business clients, there is a lack of data, making it difficult to implement solutions. We are targeting Japan as our main market, so this expo has become an important opportunity for us."
A representative from a company affiliated with the Korea Drone Industry Association explained, "For anti-drone systems, various methods such as electromagnetic pulses (EMP) can be used overseas, but in Korea, radio interference is the best option within legal boundaries. The domestic market is extremely small and it is difficult to differentiate based on technology, so we are actively preparing to expand exports."
On the 10th, the 1st Korea Industrial Complex Export Fair was held at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. Photo by Lee Sungmin
The core of this expo was the export consultation sessions that connected invited buyers and companies one-on-one. Ninety-one buyers from 20 countries, including Germany, Italy, Australia, Vietnam, and Indonesia, conducted on-site consultations to help open up export channels. In fact, the booths were bustling all day with company representatives eager to meet buyers. One businessperson said, "I had meetings with four companies in the morning, and I have four more scheduled for the afternoon."
A global open innovation program was also organized. Business meetups between startups and domestic and international mid-sized companies and venture capital (VC) firms were held, along with IR pitching and the G-Valley Startup Competition. Notably, global VCs such as Draper House, Simsan Ventures, and Yozmag attended, expanding opportunities for Korean companies to attract overseas investment.
At the "Industrial Complex Global Open Innovation" held on the 10th at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, a startup CEO is giving an IR presentation. Photo by Lee Sungmin
Meanwhile, at the commemorative event co-hosted by the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation and the Korea Industrial Complex Managers Association, a total of 114 entrepreneurs and workers who contributed to industrial development received medals and government or institutional awards. The event was attended by about 800 people, including officials from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the National Assembly, local governments, employees and families of companies located in industrial complexes.
Among the government awards, Min Dongwook, CEO of MCNEX and President of the Global Leading Companies Association, received the Bronze Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit. The Presidential Citation was awarded to Lee Donghoon, Executive Director of LG Innotek, and Choi Hongshik, CEO of Shinwoo Industry. The Prime Minister's Citation went to Nam Goongjoo, Executive Director of HL Mando, and Lee Taeyoung, CEO of Terratech.
The Korea Industrial Complex Corporation stated, "The list of awardees includes production workers who have driven on-site innovation with more than 20 years of service in industrial complexes, as well as CEOs leading new technologies in AI and eco-friendly fields and executives from major corporations. This demonstrates that industrial complexes are not just production bases, but also key platforms for technological innovation and talent development."
On the 10th, attendees are participating in a touch button ceremony at the '2025 Industrial Complex Day' commemorative event held at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. Korea Industrial Complex Corporation
Lee Sanghoon, President of the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation, said, "Industrial complexes are the backbone of the national economy and hubs for industrial artificial intelligence and carbon neutrality transition. This commemorative event and export fair will serve as a catalyst for establishing export-driven industrial complexes as models leading the global innovation ecosystem."
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