KEPCO at CES 2026: Taking Aim at Global Market with Future Power Technologies

NAJU, South Korea--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan 7, 2026--

Korea Electric Power Corporation (KRX: 015760, President Kim Dong Cheol)(KEPCO), South Korea’s state-owned electric utility company, welcomes global visitors by setting up Korea’s national representative booth at CES 2026.

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During the exhibition, slated for January 6 to 9, KEPCO will operate “KEPCO Hall” at the North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC) that harmoniously blends traditional Korean aesthetics with advanced power technologies.

Under the theme “Power of Tomorrow, Discovered Today,” KEPCO aims to demonstrate the global competitiveness of Korea’s electric power technologies. The exhibition weaves together the nation’s historical and cultural narratives with future-oriented power technologies. Visitors can experience KEPCO’s nine new proprietary technologies 1 covering the entire electric power value chain, from generation to consumption.

The exhibition content is skillfully structured across four stages to promote visitor engagement: LED Immersive Video 2, Integrated Banner Video 3, Interactive Kiosk-Based Technology Summary Video 4, and QR Code-Based In-depth Technology Detail Video 5. Furthermore, through intuitive and symbolic storytelling, the exhibition illustrates the role of electricity in addressing complex global challenges facing humanity, such as the climate crisis and energy security, as well as the solutions offered by future power technologies.

To maximize its visual impact, KEPCO drew inspiration from Korea’s historic Turtle Warship in designing the exhibition hall. Just as the Turtle Warship came to symbolize the power of innovation in overcoming national crises, KEPCO conveys its vision for overcoming today’s climate crisis through advanced energy technologies reimagined as a “Future Electric Turtle Warship.”

KEPCO also plans to unveil content that combines the innovations and narratives embedded in Korea’s cultural heritage with future power technologies through a collaboration with the National Museum of Korea. KEPCO explained that it approached this year’s tech show not simply as an individual company, but as a state-owned company representing Korea, designing its booth with a strong sense of responsibility to showcase the country on the global stage.

Kim Dong Cheol, President of KEPCO, said, “At CES 2026, we prove our technological capabilities by becoming the world’s first power utility to receive innovation awards in five categories 6. This innovative technology exhibition will be a turning point, clearly demonstrating to the world that a traditional utility has evolved into a true ‘global energy solutions provider’.”

1 IDPP (Intelligent Digital Power Plant), Perovskite Solar Cells, SEDA (Substation Equipment Diagnosis & Analysis), SFL (Smart Fault Locator), ADMS (Advanced Distribution Management System), DC Distribution, AMI (Advanced Metering Infrastructure), Caring for Single-Person Households, and K-AMS (KEPCO Asset Management System)
2 LED Immersive Video: An immersive experience that allows visitors to sail aboard KEPCO’s future-oriented electric Turtle Warship or Geobukseon, reimagined 434 years after its original debut.
3 Banner Video: Power technologies presented through infographic-style visuals incorporating distinctive Korean cultural elements.
4 Kiosk-Based Technology Summary Video: Short-form videos introducing power technologies, from in-house development to on-site application and smart operation.
5 QR Code-Based Technology Detail Video: In-depth explanations of the power technologies introduced in the kiosk’s short-form videos.
6 SEDA (Substation Equipment Diagnosis & Analysis System), HESS (Hybrid Energy Storage System), TransGuard-MX (Transformer Bushing Monitoring System), ADS (AI-based optical Diagnostic System for power facilities), and SDMD (Security-enhanced DER Management Device)

Kim Dong Cheol, President of KEPCO, speaking at CES 2026 KEPCO Pavilion (Photo: KEPCO)

KEPCO’s CES 2026 Pavilion “KEPCO Hall” (Photo: KEPCO)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday that he will allow service members to carry personal weapons onto military installations, citing the Second Amendment and recent shootings at bases across the country.

In a video posted to X, Hegseth said he is signing a memo that will direct base commanders to allow requests for troops to carry privately owned firearms “with the presumption that it is necessary for personal protection.”

He said any denial of a service member's request must be explained in detail and in writing.

“Effectively, our bases across the country were gun-free zones,” Hegseth said. "Unless you're training or unless you are a military policeman, you couldn't carry, you couldn't bring your own firearm for your own personal protection onto post."

Questions about why service members lacked access to weapons have often emerged following shootings on the nation's military bases. Such shootings have ranged from isolated events between service members to mass casualty events, such as the shootings by an Army psychiatrist at Texas’ Ford Hood in 2009 that left 13 people dead.

Hegseth cited some of the events in his video, including a shooting that injured five soldiers at Fort Stewart in Georgia last year. Officials said the shooter, an Army sergeant who worked at the base, used his personal handgun before he was tackled by fellow soldiers and arrested.

“In these instances, minutes are a lifetime,” Hegseth said. “And our service members have the courage and training to make those precious, short minutes count.”

Defense Department policy has prohibited military personnel from carrying personal weapons on base without permission from a senior commander, with strict protocol for how the firearms must be stored.

Typically, military personnel must officially check their guns out of secure storage to go to on-base hunting areas or shooting ranges, then check all firearms back in promptly after their sanctioned use. Military police are often the only armed personnel on base, outside of shooting ranges, hunting areas or in training, where soldiers can wield their service weapons without ammunition.

Tanya Schardt, senior counsel at the Brady gun violence prevention organization, said in a statement that Defense Department leaders and the military’s top brass have opposed relaxing the current policy, which was originally enacted under President George H.W. Bush.

“Our military installations are among the most guarded, protected properties in the world, and they’ve never been ‘gun-free zones,’” Schardt said. “If there is a problem with violent crime on these installations, then the Secretary of Defense has an obligation to alert the American people and describe how he’s working to prevent that crime."

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks to members of the media during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, Tuesday, March 31, 2026. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)