[서울신문] Kim Dong-gwan This time,’space business’ management ability test bench

Acting as a registered executive of’Hanwha Aerospace’
Directly lead the future food’space business’
When it turns to a surplus this year, it seems that he will be recognized as a successor.

Kim Dong-gwan (38), president of Hanwha Solutions, who led Hanwha’s advance into the US solar and green hydrogen market, was put on the second test of management ability with’space business’. Kim Seung-yeon (69), chairman of Hanwha Group, who declared his return to management in the last 7 years, decided to take over only unregistered executives of three affiliates, including Hanwha Corporation, Hanwha Solutions, and Hanwha E&C. It seems that he will be responsible for managing the defense business centered on space. Hanwha Aerospace is a’defense holding company’ with key defense companies such as Hanwha Defense, Hanwha Systems, and Hanwha Techwin as subsidiaries.

On the 7th, Hanwha Group launched’Space Hub’, which will lead the entire space business. On the 26th of last month, President Kim, who was recommended as a registered executive of Hanwha Aerospace, will directly lead the organization as the space hub team leader. Hanwha Group said, “The Space Hub is not a top-level organization of each company, but a comprehensive situation room in the space business division full of realism.” President Kim is the head of the Hanwha Group’s space business general situation office, and takes charge of future food. President Kim said, “To compete with global companies, we decided that expertise and full support were needed. Together with the engineers, I will find a shortcut to space.”

It is known that the reason that Chairman Kim sent President Kim as the head of the space business is because Hanwha has a unique position among large companies in the space business under the perception that’space is the future’. In addition, it seems that it is meant to try to save Hanwha Aerospace, which has been recording an operating deficit for four years from 2017 to last year. Hanwha Aerospace recorded an operating profit of 73.9 billion won in 2016 on a separate basis, and then recorded an operating loss every year. In the third quarter of last year, it recorded 757.9 billion won in cumulative sales and 20.5 billion won in operating loss.

A business official said, “If President Kim succeeds in turning to the surplus of Hanwha Aerospace this year, he will be recognized for his management ability and establish himself as a true successor.”

The space hub is centered by Hanwha Aerospace engineers who participated in the development of the Korean launch vehicle’Nuri’. Here, Hanwha Systems’ communication and imaging equipment experts, Hanwha’s experts in each field of weapon systems, and Hanwha Aerospace’s acquired private satellite company’Setrec I’will participate. Hanwha Aerospace is dreaming of loading an artificial satellite made by Setrec i on the launch vehicle and installing Hanwha Systems’ communication system. Morgan Stanley, an investment bank in the United States, predicts that the space industry’s market will grow to about $1.1 trillion (about 1220 trillion won) in 2040 under the leadership of private companies.

Reporter Lee Young-joon [email protected]