SEOUL, January 08 (AJP) - Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn visited the firm's Jeju Space Center on Thursday, underscoring the conglomerate’s push to build a private-sector space industry ecosystem.
The Jeju center, located in Seogwipo on Jeju Island, is a key base for the group's space business. Kim toured satellite production and testing facilities and received briefings on this year’s business plan and Hanwha’s broader space operations.
“The Jeju Space Center is not just a workplace, but the present and future of Hanwha’s space ambitions,” Kim said during the visit, adding that space “opens a path only to those who never stop challenging.”
The chairman's son, Hanwha Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan, who oversees the group’s space business, joined senior executives for the visit. After touring an exhibition hall, Kim Seung-youn met researchers working at the center and inspected clean-room facilities while wearing protective gear.
Speaking to employees, Kim said Hanwha’s goal of launching satellites built with its own technology had been realized through the successful fourth launch of South Korea’s Nuri space rocket.
He added that following work on a lunar orbiter, the group is now developing a propulsion system for a lunar lander, positioning Hanwha as a leading private-sector player in South Korea’s space industry.
Kim urged employees to help develop the Jeju Space Center into a forward base for the country’s space industry, working alongside regional space clusters in Jeju, Goheung, Suncheon and Changwon. He said their efforts would help lay the foundation for South Korea to become one of the world’s top five space powers.
Hanwha said its investments have expanded space-related operations at Hanwha Aerospace and Hanwha Systems, spanning launch vehicles, satellites and lunar exploration.
Hanwha Aerospace is building on Nuri launch-vehicle technology, while Hanwha Systems is focusing on satellite systems and related technologies.
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