Hanwha Ocean to target Southeast Asian defense market

South Korea's Hanwha Ocean Co. will participate in Defense & Security (D&S) 2023 in Bangkok, Thailand. 

The company said on Thursday it plans to strengthen the expanding Southeast Asian defense market through this event. D&S 2023 Thailand will be held from Nov. 6 to Nov. 9. 500 firms from 50 countries will showcase their products including South Korea, the US, and Germany. 

Rising geopolitical tensions, particularly the territorial disputes in the South China Sea, have heightened security concerns among Southeast Asian nations. This surge in defense requirements has cast a spotlight on D&S 2023, as countries seek innovative solutions to their mounting security needs.

As the sole domestic shipbuilding company at the exhibition, Hanwha Ocean is slated to present its maritime defense assets, including a 2,000-ton export-type warship, a 3,000-ton frigate, the Jangbogo-III 3,000-ton submarine, and an advanced unmanned command and control vessel.

In a nod to regional collaboration, the company highlighted that the 3,000-ton frigate it exported to Thailand in 2019 was christened after the late revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej, considered Thailand's national father.

During the exhibition, the company has scheduled discussions with defense officials from several nations, such as the Philippines, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Oman, and Malaysia, specifically targeting submarine exports, underlining its ambitions to deepen its footprint in the regional defense landscape.

Write to Mi-Sun Kang at misunny@hankyung.com