HJ Shipbuilding & Construction (HJSC) announced that it will participate in the 2025 International Maritime Defense Exhibition (MADEX 2025), which runs from May 28 to 31 at BEXCO in Busan. The company aims to showcase its advanced maritime defense capabilities and reaffirm its commitment to expanding its presence in the global defense market.
Founded in 1974 as Korea’s first designated maritime defense contractor, HJ Heavy Industries will display a broad range of its flagship vessels, including large transport ships, landing ships, and patrol boats. Notably, the exhibition will feature naval command ships such as the ‘Marado’ and ‘Dokdo,’ domestic high-speed landing craft (LSF-II), air-cushion landing crafts, guided missile fast attack crafts (PKG), and coast guard patrol and rescue vessels.
Since its inception in 1999, MADEX is hosted biennially under the auspices of the Republic of Korea Navy and is Korea’s largest maritime defense exhibition. This year’s event will see a more than 20% increase in exhibition space, marking its largest scale to date. The event is attracting naval delegations from over 30 countries worldwide amid rising global interest in defense and maritime security amid shifting international security dynamics.
Beyond showcasing its products, HJSC plans to leverage the event to establish substantial export foundations. On opening day, the company will sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Busan Marine Equipment Cooperative to build a joint shipbuilding material supply platform. On May 30th, it will host visits from overseas delegations from Australia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to its Yeongdo shipyard. These activities aim to strengthen international defense networks and actively explore new export opportunities.
As Korea’s only shipbuilder capable of designing and constructing both large transport ships and high-speed landing crafts, HJSC has secured all orders for the Navy’s high-speed landing craft (LSF-I and LSF-II), which are still operational nearly two decades after delivery. The continued operation of these vessels exemplifies the company’s strong maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) capabilities.
Yoo Sang-chul, CEO of HJSC, stated, “With increasing requests from navies worldwide to tour Yeongdo Shipyard ahead of MADEX, we are receiving tremendous interest. We will leverage our accumulated experience and continuous technological innovation to demonstrate the excellence of domestically produced maritime power in the global defense arena.”
In addition to HJSC, major defense companies including Hyundai Heavy Industries, Hanwha Ocean, Hanwha Systems, LIG Nex1, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), Lockheed Martin, and Rolls-Royce are also participating in MADEX 2025, making it a comprehensive showcase of Korea’s military manufacturing capabilities.
