The National Fire Agency of Korea announced that the 22nd International Fire & Safety Expo, held from May 20 to 22 at EXCO in Daegu, concluded successfully after generating practical business opportunities and showcasing advanced technological innovation in the fire safety sector.

The exhibition continued to expand in scale, with 448 companies from 28 countries participating across 1,566 booths. Compared with the five-year average, the number of participating companies increased by 17.8 percent and the number of booths by 16.4 percent.

Beyond quantitative growth, this year’s expo was recognized for strengthening its substance by enhancing participant satisfaction and improving its practical value for industry stakeholders.

Buyer-Focused Exhibition Reinforces Business Outcomes

A total of 74,203 visitors attended this year’s expo. Among them, 27,322 were key overseas and domestic buyers, accounting for 37 percent of all visitors.

The main purposes of visit also demonstrated the expo’s professional focus, with many attendees seeking new product information and market trend insights. New product research accounted for 26 percent of visit purposes, while market trend analysis accounted for 25 percent.

During the exhibition, 387 export consultations were held between overseas buyers and Korean manufacturers. According to the post-event survey, 90 percent of participating companies said they were generally satisfied with the expo, and 89 percent expressed willingness to participate again.

AI, Robotics and Drones Present the Future of Fire Safety

This year’s exhibition was organized under the theme of “technological advances in artificial intelligence that save lives.”

A wide range of future-oriented firefighting and disaster response technologies were introduced, including AI, robotics, drones, electric vehicle fire response equipment, advanced personal protective equipment and unmanned automated solutions.

Officials from overseas fire agencies and international buyers also showed strong interest in Korea’s advanced fire safety equipment and unmanned automation technologies, reflecting the growing global competitiveness of Korea’s fire safety industry.

58 Policy Conferences and Seminars Expand Knowledge Exchange

In addition to the exhibition booths, the expo served as a major platform for academic and policy exchange.

A total of 58 professional conferences and workshops, comprising 47 sessions, were held across EXCO during the event. Major programs included the National Fire Investigation Best Practices Presentation hosted by the National Fire Agency, the Workshop on Improving Emergency Medical Service Quality for Sudden Cardiac Arrest, the RESCUE 119 Forum hosted by the National Fire Research Institute, and a seminar on fireground safety accident investigation and prevention strategies.

These programs provided opportunities for in-depth discussions on data-based advanced response systems and contributed to the qualitative advancement of Korea’s future firefighting capabilities.

Strengthening K-Fire Safety as a Global Standard

“The 2026 International Fire & Safety Expo served as a milestone showing how Korea’s fire safety industry can achieve qualitative transformation through advanced science and technology, including AI and unmanned robotics,” the National Fire Agency said.

“We will focus our policy capabilities on ensuring that the technological depth of the K-fire safety industry can become a global standard, moving beyond a conventional exhibition toward a platform for practical innovation and international cooperation,” it added.