Hyundai Rotem showcases aerospace propulsion technology at Aerotech expo

Hyundai Rotem announced Wednesday that it is participating in the 2nd International Aerospace Technology Exhibition — known as Aerotech — being held at the Changwon Convention Center in Changwon, South Gyeongsang Province, through Friday.

Aerotech, organized by the Korea Space Technology Promotion Association and other bodies, is the country's largest aerospace trade show. Since its inaugural edition in 2024, it has established itself as a platform for exploring the future of South Korea's aerospace industry, covering advanced aerospace technology, satellites, robotics, defense and urban air mobility.

Hyundai Rotem President and CEO Lee Yong-bae, who also serves as chairman of the Korea Space Technology Promotion Association, said South Korea "is proving its strength on the global stage through its independent launch vehicle and satellite technology," adding that he hopes the exhibition will serve as "a firm stepping stone for South Korea to leap forward as one of the world's top five space powers."

At the show, Hyundai Rotem will present propulsion systems for the aerospace sector, including a methane engine, a ducted ramjet engine and a hypersonic engine.

The methane engine — the first of its kind to be developed domestically — is a core technology for future space transportation. Methane produces minimal soot during combustion, offers high economic efficiency that lowers propellant costs, and delivers strong fuel efficiency.

Hyundai Rotem successfully conducted South Korea's first methane engine combustion test in 2006, and last year won a contract from the Defense Technology Promotion Research Institute to develop methane engine technology for reusable launch vehicles, further expanding its technical capabilities.

The company will also display a ducted ramjet engine, a key propulsion system for long-range air-to-air guided weapons. Hyundai Rotem began researching supersonic ramjet engines with the Agency for Defense Development in the early 2000s. The ducted ramjet operates without a compressor or gas turbine, instead using compressed air generated by the vehicle's high-speed flight and channeling it through an internal air passage called a duct.

Last year, Hyundai Rotem won an Agency for Defense Development contract for core technology development covering the airframe structure and propulsion system of a long-range air-to-air missile, strengthening its competitiveness in the field. The company will also showcase a hypersonic engine capable of switching between ramjet and scramjet modes as needed.

The company will also present its infrastructure vision for supporting its aerospace business through a diorama scale model. The model depicts the liquid rocket engine test facility in Seosan and a planned aerospace production base to be built in Muju, illustrating an integrated infrastructure chain spanning research and development, testing, production and launch.

Hyundai Rotem will also sign a memorandum of understanding with Ansys Korea at the exhibition to establish strategic cooperation in the aerospace sector. Ansys Korea develops and supplies engineering simulation software.

Under the agreement, the two companies plan to apply simulation-based design and analysis technology in their aerospace development processes and to expand technical exchanges and areas of cooperation.

A Hyundai Rotem official said the company is "expanding its business competitiveness on the foundation of aerospace technology leadership built over more than 30 years," adding that it will "strive to contribute to the advancement of South Korea's aerospace industry through continued technology development and expansion of business infrastructure."

Meanwhile, Hyundai Rotem has been posting results across a range of business areas, including a recent contract worth 344.51 billion won ($254 million) with the Taoyuan City Government Railway Engineering Bureau in Taiwan for the supply of electrical and mechanical systems for the Taoyuan Brown Line.