WHE 2026 spotlights 197 exhibitors and South Korea’s hydrogen policy

By Daniel Okafor

197 companies from 12 countries are showcasing technologies for hydrogen production, storage, transportation and use as World Hydrogen Expo 2026 opened Nov. 4 at Hall 2 of KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, South Korea.

WHE 2026, described as Asia’s largest hydrogen industry event, combines a three-day exhibition with about 200 participating companies and an international conference. The opening program included a ceremony marking the fifth Hydrogen Day, a date designated by law.

What does the hydrogen policy signal?

Lee Ho-hyun, second vice minister of the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment, attended the fifth Hydrogen Day ceremony at KINTEX. He said: “Hydrogen is a key means of driving decarbonization in industries where cutting greenhouse gas emissions is difficult.” He added that hydrogen “plays an important role in the green transition.”

The ministry plans to refine policies that support a domestic ecosystem for producing and using clean hydrogen. The announcement established a policy direction but included no quantified production target, subsidy amount or timetable for the proposed changes.

Takeaway: South Korea has signaled a clean-hydrogen policy review, but officials have not put numbers or dates on it.

How big is the event?

The fifth Hydrogen Day ceremony drew about 300 participants from industry, academia and hydrogen research institutes. Attendees included Lee and Kim Jae-hong, chairman of the Korea Hydrogen Industry Association.

The ministry presented 34 awards to individuals and organizations that contributed to advancing the hydrogen economy. No operating clean-hydrogen capacity accompanied the ceremony: the event announcement identified no new production plant, capacity figure, financing amount or commissioning date.

The booth count stands at 197 companies from 12 countries, compared with about 200 participating companies in the wider exhibition. Companies cover the full hydrogen chain, from production through storage and transportation to end use.

Exhibitors include Korean companies Hyundai Motor Group and Kolon Industries, alongside global firms Henkel Korea and Ebara. The ministry and the Korea Hydrogen Industry Association expect about 30,000 visitors from industry, academia and research institutes at home and abroad.

Takeaway: The Goyang gathering has substantial exhibition scale, but it did not announce new output or a funded production project.

What does the industry need next?

Kim Jae-hong, chairman of the Korea Hydrogen Industry Association, said: “The global hydrogen industry stands at a critical turning point where it must attract substantive investment and expand cross-border trade, centered on areas where economic viability has been proven along with carbon reduction effects.”

He added: “I hope this will be an occasion to discuss technological innovation to create large-scale demand for clean hydrogen, the building of global supply chains and various forms of cooperation in line with these changes.”

Kim’s comments set two linked commercial tests for the hydrogen stream: projects must attract investment and support trade, while applications need demonstrated economics and carbon reductions. The expo can connect suppliers, buyers and researchers, but those discussions still need to produce commercial commitments.

Takeaway: Investment and cross-border trade in viable applications matter more than exhibitor numbers alone.

Who is shaping the discussion?

The international conference includes speakers from government, industry and international energy organizations:

• Ivana Jemelkova, chief executive of the Hydrogen Council.
• Uwe Remme, a division head at the International Energy Agency.
• Laurent Antoni, executive director of the International Partnership for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells in the Economy, or IPHE.

The exhibition and conference are open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Further details are available on the WHE 2026 website.

Takeaway: The conference brings hydrogen’s main trade, policy and research institutions into one discussion on scaling demand and supply chains.

What decides the next phase?

The next regulatory milestone is the ministry’s promised policy refinement, although officials announced neither a publication date nor measurable targets. That package will determine how South Korea supports domestic clean-hydrogen production and use.

The market milestone is equally demanding: Kim called for substantive investment, expanded cross-border trade and large-scale demand in areas with proven economic viability and carbon reduction effects. None of those elements appeared as a quantified project or financing commitment at the event.

Takeaway: The policy package and follow-on investment, rather than expo attendance, will determine whether interest becomes operating clean-hydrogen capacity.