Updated 14 September 2025

MADEX 2025

For the first time ever, King Arthur’s Writes attended MADEX in Busan, South Korea this year. This maritime- and naval-focused exhibition at the southeast corner of the Korean Peninsula was held from 28-31 May 2025. There were also tours to the nearby Busan Naval Base, although strict regulations regarding photography hardly made it worthwhile. These restrictions may have been put in place after Chinese “tourists” were arrested earlier using a drone to film sensitive military sites in South Korea.

South Korea is a powerhouse of global shipbuilding, and private companies like HD Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) and Hanwha Ocean are equally invested in naval shipbuilding for the Republic of Korea Navy. More than that, these companies are pushing their products hard to export markets too. Hyundai Heavy Industries, for instance, has enjoyed tremendous success exporting frigates and offshore patrol vessels to the Philippine Navy. Indeed, the company arranged for several media representatives to tour its gigantic shipyard in Ulsan where vessels are constructed, including King Arthur’s Writes.

Perhaps the most impressive aspect to MADEX 2025 was the obvious ambition of companies like HD HHI, Hanwha Ocean and LIG Nex1. They displayed a wide range of innovative, nay stunningly futuristic, concepts for naval platforms such as UAV carriers and heavily armed unmanned surface vessels. With South Korea’s reliance on conscription struggling because of a declining birth rate, the country’s military and its defence companies are looking at unmanned systems to compensate for shortages in personnel. As Western countries such as Australia and the USA struggle to build warships on schedule and budget, South Korea is showing the way.