Korea opens Carbon Korea 2026 as Japan composite center signs cooperation pact

South Korea's industry ministry opened Carbon Korea 2026, the country's only carbon materials exhibition, on Wednesday, bringing about 140 domestic and foreign carbon materials and parts companies and institutions together at COEX Magok in Seoul for a three-day run.

The event, which continues through Friday, is held under the theme "The future of carbon materials with AI: space, aerospace, defense and energy," and is hosted by the ministry with the Korea Carbon Industry Promotion Agency and the Korea Carbon Nano Industry Association as co-organizers. North Gyeongsang Province and North Jeolla Province sponsor it.

At the opening ceremony, the Korea Carbon Nano Industry Association and Japan's Innovative Composite Center signed a memorandum of understanding. The agreement is expected to build a joint cooperation system with Japan, which holds world-class technology, to shore up the advanced-industry value chain and raise the global competitiveness of Korea's carbon industry.

The exhibition features cars and aircraft models and parts made with carbon materials, including Hyundai's Ioniq 5 N DK Edition and Ioniq 6 N Complete Car, a Korean Air medium-altitude unmanned aircraft model, an expendable unmanned combat aircraft model, and a KAI aircraft wing structure and rotor blade components.

A conference held jointly with the Korean Society for Composite Materials brings together experts from JEC Group, the world's largest composites association, as well as Boeing and LG CNS, to discuss the future of aerospace composite technology and how artificial intelligence can be used in the carbon materials sector.

Seven people who contributed to localizing the manufacturing technology for carbon fiber and composite materials received government awards at the ceremony, including President-level and Prime Minister-level honors and five ministerial awards. Among them were Shin Hyun-kyu, chief executive of Deck Carbon, and Kim Young-soo, chief executive of Elim DMP.

"The carbon industry is achieving meaningful results recently thanks to companies' devoted efforts," said Choi Woo-hyuk, director general for advanced industry policy at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. "The government will spare no support so that our industry can take a further leap."

Side events include a networking session on building an aerospace and defense supply chain on Nov. 3, business-to-business meetings for carbon companies on Nov. 5, an awards ceremony for a public contest on AI use and a government-supported research and development results center for the carbon field.