Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) on the 25th failed to move forward with selecting a new CEO after internal opposition prevented the board from taking up the agenda item. The company plans to complete the selection before next month’s regular shareholders meeting, but further friction is expected as the union and employees challenge the candidate’s suitability and the fairness of the process.
KAI had planned to discuss appointing Kim Jong-chul, former head of the Unmanned Systems Division at the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, at a board meeting held that morning at its Seoul office in Gangnam. But the union’s opposition kept the item from being placed on the agenda, leaving the CEO post vacant for about seven months.
A KAI official said the board meeting proceeded as scheduled, but the CEO appointment item was not brought forward. “The future schedule is uncertain,” the official said.
Kim, born in 1962, is a graduate of the 31st class of the Korea Air Force Academy. He served about 23 years as an Air Force officer, retiring in 2006 as a lieutenant colonel. That year, when DAPA was launched, he was hired through a special recruitment process at Grade 4. He is credited with helping draw up the agency’s initial organization and staffing, innovation plans and basic plans to promote defense exports, according to the report. He is also known to have close ties with DAPA Commissioner Lee Yong-cheol as a member of the agency’s founding group.
During his time at DAPA, Kim held key posts including head of the Defense Export Support Team, head of the Project Operations Management Team, director of the Offset Trade Division and planning and coordination officer. From June 2011 for about two years, he served as director of the Offset Trade Division under the Acquisition Planning Bureau, handling planning work related to offset trade for major export items. While his background as a military defense-industry specialist is seen as a strength, the report said his experience in unmanned aircraft programs — cited as a key asset — has limited overlap with KAI’s work.
Kim also has political ties dating to the 20th presidential election, when he worked with Lee Jae-myung’s campaign. In 2022, he served as vice chairman of the campaign’s Smart Strong Military Committee, a group of former generals that developed policies for advanced science and technology, with goals including AI-based manned-unmanned teaming systems involving drones and robots, and training drone warriors. The report said he is believed to enjoy Lee’s trust after serving as a bridge to bolster confidence in the campaign’s security views within a military culture known for strong conservative leanings.
Inside KAI, opposition has been strong. The union is protesting that another figure with ties to a presidential campaign and a military background has been named as CEO candidate. It argues that with tasks piling up — including improving management efficiency, developing new weapons and fostering export products — it is inappropriate for a military figure to lead the company. Many employees are also said to be questioning the procedural legitimacy of the selection process.
In a statement issued the previous day, the union said it is widely being discussed that the candidate, after working on a presidential campaign, was mentioned as a possible DAPA commissioner but fell through and is now “coming down” to KAI as CEO. If the appointment goes ahead, the union said, it would be hard to avoid criticism that it is a reward-based parachute appointment by the Lee Jae-myung government.
KAI has been without a CEO for about seven months since July 2025, when Kang Goo-young — described in the report as having ties to former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s presidential campaign — resigned early. Vice President Cha Jae-byung is serving as acting CEO, but the prolonged absence of a control tower has created difficulties in major projects at home and abroad, the report said.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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