Korean Drones Knock on the U.S. Market Through the World’s Largest Unmanned Systems Exhibition

KOTRA Operates Korea Pavilion at Houston’s ‘Xponential’
Explores Opportunities for Technical Cooperation and Partnership Expansion

KOTRA and the Korea Institute of Aviation Safety Technology jointly organized the Korea Pavilion at Xponential, the world’s largest unmanned systems exhibition, held in Houston, USA from May 19 to 22. They also hosted an export consultation event to support Korean companies entering the U.S. market.
Pictured: The Korea Pavilion at the exhibition hall. (Photo provided by KOTRA)

KOTRA and Korea Institute of Aviation Safety Technology Host Korea Pavilion at ‘Xponential 2025’ in Houston

KOTRA (President Kang Kyung-seong) and the Korea Institute of Aviation Safety Technology (President Hwang Ho-won) announced on the 25th that they had organized the Korea Pavilion and hosted an export consultation event at Xponential 2025, the world’s largest unmanned systems exhibition, held in Houston, USA over four days from May 19 to 22.

This initiative was part of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s (Minister Park Sang-woo) “Drone Company Global Expansion Support Project.”

At the event, 11 Korean companies specializing in drone airframes, components (such as GPS and batteries), and solutions participated to explore entry opportunities into the U.S. market through meetings with U.S. state governments, institutions, and major local businesses.

Xponential, organized by the Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI), is the world’s largest trade show dedicated to unmanned systems. It tours major U.S. cities annually. This year’s event brought together over 7,500 participants from 60 countries, serving as a hub for sharing the latest technologies and industry trends in drones, military UAVs, and autonomous systems. In addition to exhibitions, the show featured tech conferences and panel discussions to foster collaboration and information exchange across the industry.

At this year’s event, KOTRA focused on expanding local partnerships and promoting Korean technologies by managing the Korea Pavilion, organizing export consultations, and running a promotional booth. The 11 participating Korean companies held 191 consultation sessions and signed 15 on-site MOUs, expanding collaboration opportunities with global drone companies.

As of 2024, the U.S. drone market is valued at approximately $12.1 billion, and with increasing demand, it is projected to grow at an average annual rate of 9.2%, reaching $17.2 billion by 2028. The U.S. government plans to invest over $4 billion in R&D and pilot projects for unmanned systems and is currently establishing new regulations and policies to enhance national security.

Notably, the U.S. Congress has been introducing successive bills—such as the American Security Drone Act and legislation aimed at curbing Chinese drone imports—to limit Chinese-made drones for national security reasons. As a result, the market share of Chinese drones, which accounted for 85% of imports in 2023, dropped to below 30% in the first quarter of 2025. Amid this shift, imports from third countries such as Vietnam and Switzerland are rising, creating broader entry opportunities for Korean drone companies into the U.S. market.

Kang Eun-ho, Director of KOTRA’s Dallas Trade Office, commented,

The U.S. drone industry is growing rapidly in both commercial and public/defense sectors, and we’re sensing strong local interest in partnering with Korean firms, especially as the supply chain is being reorganized away from China. As the North American hub for aerospace and defense, the Dallas office will continue to lead marketing support and business opportunity development for Korean drone companies.

Reporter Song Hyun-soo (songh@busan.com)