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Pyeongtaek, South Korea — KORDEF 2026, the Korea Defense Symposium and Exhibition, was held at Camp Humphreys from April 21-22, the ROK-U.S. Combined Forces Command said.
The event was organized to discuss the future direction of combined operations in response to changes in the security environment on the Korean Peninsula while strengthening cooperation among the ROK and U.S. militaries, the defense industry and military experts.
Military officials and defense experts from both countries joined presentations and panel discussions centered on three themes: combined response strategies for unmanned systems, data centrality for ROK-U.S. data sharing and interoperability, and the Korean Peninsula theaterwide readiness posture.
Maj. Gen. Moon Byung-sam, deputy chief of staff of Combined Forces Command, said in his keynote that the gathering marked a meaningful occasion for shaping the future of combined operations. “KORDEF 2026 presented a new direction for combined operations in an evolving security environment,” Moon said. “It also strengthened the practical foundation for cooperation in advancing unmanned systems, data-centric warfare and theaterwide readiness posture.”
KORDEF is an annual defense event co-hosted by the Association of the United States Army Korea Chapter and AFCEA Korea. It aims to enhance allied interoperability and strengthen cooperation within the Korean Peninsula theater.
Combined Forces Command plans to continue using the event as a key platform for advancing combined capabilities, along with the ROK-U.S. C5ISRT Senior Leaders Seminar scheduled for later this year.
