Samsung Heavy Industries (SHI) and Hanwha Ocean, two of the three major Korean shipbuilders along with HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering (KSOE), are expected to fail to meet their annual order targets set earlier this year by the end of December.According to sources in the shipbuilding in
Leading defense industry companies in South Korea, including Hanwha Aerospace, Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), LIG Nex1, Hyundai Rotem, and Hanwha Ocean, have hit “contract jackpots” in countries like Poland and Australia, marking a significant shift for South Korea from a defense equipment import
Hanwha Aerospace has delivered an additional six K9 self-propelled howitzers to Estonia, adding to the 24 already in operation there. By 2026, when the remaining six units are delivered, Estonia will have a total of 36 K9 howitzers in operation.According to the defense industry on Dec. 18, the Eston
To defend the leadership of Cho Hyun-bum, the chairman of Hankook & Company, the holding company of Hankook Tire, his father, Cho Yang-rae, the honorary chairman, has stepped forward as a “white knight,” acquiring an additional 0.32 percent stake in the company. Hyosung Advanced Materials, led by Ch
The World Radiocommunication Conference-23 (WRC-23), an international negotiation event for the international distribution of frequencies, successfully identified candidate frequencies for the development of 6th generation (6G) mobile communication. In particular, three of the four candidate bands p
The government has set a goal to expand the K-Robot market to a scale of 20 trillion won by 2030 as the future growth engine. A combined investment of over 3 trillion won from both public and private sectors is planned with the objective of deploying one million robots across various industries, inc
With Cho Hyun-sik, the advisor of Hankook & Company and the eldest son of the tire maker’s honorary chairman, preparing to take over the leadership in collaboration with MBK Partners, Cho Yang-rae, the honorary chairman of Hankook & Company, is once again offering support to Chairman Cho Hyun-bum, t
LIG Nex1 is actively expanding its presence in the defense markets of Africa, Europe, and North America, following its success in the Middle East.According to defense industry sources on Dec. 13, LIG Nex1 made its inaugural participation at the “Egypt Defense Expo (EDEX) 2023,” the largest event of
LIG Nex1 has initiated the pursuit of acquiring Ghost Robotics, a U.S.-based robotics company known for developing robotic dogs.The company announced in a regulatory filing on Dec. 8 that it will acquire a 60% stake in Ghost Robotics for 315 billion won (US$238.46 million).To facilitate the acquisit
Poland, on the brink of a regime change for the first time in eight years, faces concerns that defense equipment contracts signed with South Korea could be nullified following the general elections in October.According to Reuters on Dec. 10 (local time), Simon Holownia, a member of the opposition al
Hanwha Aerospace has secured a second phase contract for exporting 152 K9 self-propelled howitzers, worth approximately 3.4 trillion won, following their initial deal in August last year to export 212 units worth around 3.2 trillion won.On Dec. 4, Hanwha Aerospace announced the signing of this secon
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at esshim@nhqv.com -- Ed.After a large stake selloff by a strategic collaborative client, Suresofttech’s share price has slid amid worsened investor sentiment. But, we expect the collaboration to continue, with steady earning
Hanwha Ocean has recently entered into a research and development service contract with the Defense Technology Quality Institute for the design of new “magnet-reducing equipment for submarines,” the company announced on Nov. 29. This equipment is designed to reduce the magnetic field generated by su
Hanwha Aerospace has announced a groundbreaking 175.9 billion won (US$143.4 million) contract with the U.K.’s BAE Systems for the supply of modular charge systems (MCS) for 155 mm artillery shells used by NATO member countries. The contract was revealed on Nov. 23.The MCS, a cylindrical modular prop
HD Hyundai Heavy Industries held a keel-laying ceremony on Nov. 22 at its Ulsan shipyard for the first of the 3,200-ton class Philippine patrol vessels, attended by naval and defense industry officials from both South Korea and the Philippines.The 3,200-ton class patrol vessel, constructed by HD Hyu
Kia’s Chinese joint venture is grappling with the challenge of “complete capital erosion,” struggling to break free from the quagmire. In this situation, local car sales remain sluggish, and with expenses continually increasing, the scale of debt has grown further.According to Kia’s quarterly report
The author is an analyst for NH Investment & Securities. He can be reached at ys.jung@nhqv.com -- Ed.Over 2021~2023, Korean shipbuilders have landed target-beating new orders. With sufficient order backlogs under their belt, they have raised newbuilding prices to reflect higher costs, and accordingl
While Korea’s exports rebounded for the first time in 13 months in October, the value of Korea’s exports to Eastern European countries surged. Eastern European countries included Poland, Hungary and Turkiye. In general, they had previously accounted for small proportions of Korea’s exports.The Korea
South Korea has been removed from the U.S. currency manipulator watchlist for the first time. This move comes with recognition of the transparency in South Korea’s foreign exchange policies and marks a significant step towards stability in the value of the South Korean won, providing some relief for
At HD Hyundai Heavy Industries’ Ulsan yard, the future of South Korea’s naval defense is being forged. The Republic of Korea Navy’s next-generation Aegis destroyer (KDX-III Batch-II) King Jeongjo the Great was successfully launched last July and is awaiting operational deployment. The lead ship in t