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Hanwha Group chairman visits Hanwha Space Center on Jeju Island

Published: 08 Jan. 2026, 18:50 Updated: 08 Jan. 2026, 20:26

Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn, center, and Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan, far left, inspect a full-scale model of a 15-centimeter-resolution (6-inch), ultra-high-resolution synthetic-aperture radar satellite in very low Earth orbit during their visit to Hanwha Systems’ Hanwha Space Center on Jeju Island on Jan. 8. [HANWHA GROUP]

Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn visited the Hanwha Space Center on Jeju Island on Thursday in his first on-site management activity of the year, declaring that the company’s mission was to see the universe.

He was accompanied by his eldest son, Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan, who oversees the group’s space business.

Chairman Kim addressed employees at the Hanwha Space Center, saying, “This is not just a business site — it’s a space where Hanwha’s dream of reaching space becomes reality.

“Everyone’s sweat and dedication will lay the foundation for Korea to become one of the world’s top five space powers,” Kim continued. “Space only opens its doors to those who never stop challenging themselves.”

During his visit, Chairman Kim donned a cleanroom suit and toured the space environment test facility, which replicates extreme space conditions, including vacuum, cryogenic temperatures of minus 180 degrees Celsius (minus 292 degrees Fahrenheit) and high heat of 150 degrees Celsius. He also inspected the high-power electromagnetic interference test facility, which evaluates whether satellites can withstand electromagnetic interference in space.

Located in Seogwipo on Jeju Island, the Hanwha Space Center is the largest private satellite production facility in Korea, spanning approximately 30,000 square meters (7.4 acres) — equivalent to four football fields.

Hanwha Group Chairman Kim Seung-youn and Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan, both center in front row, pose for a photo with employees of Hanwha Systems at the Hanwha Space Center on Jeju Island on Jan. 8, in front of a full-scale model of the ultra-high-resolution synthetic-aperture radar satellite in very low Earth orbit. [HANWHA GROUP]

Operated by Hanwha Systems, a subsidiary of Hanwha Aerospace, the facility was completed in December 2025 with a 100 billion won ($69 million) investment. It is capable of producing up to eight satellites per month and 100 annually. Mass production of Earth observation satellites equipped with synthetic-aperture radar is scheduled to begin this year.

Jeju’s geographic advantage — surrounded by ocean on all sides — offers ideal launch angles and safe drop zones, making it a prime location for satellite launches.

Chairman Kim has shown a longstanding interest in space since the 1980s, when he led Korea Explosives, the predecessor of Hanwha Group. He has repeatedly emphasized that “Hanwha must launch satellites it builds with its own hands.” That vision took concrete shape with the 2021 launch of Space Hub, the group’s space business command center, led by Vice Chairman Kim.

Last November, Hanwha played a key role in the successful fourth launch of the Nuri rocket, Korea’s first privately led satellite launch. In his New Year’s address, Chairman Kim said, “With the fourth launch of the Nuri rocket, we have ushered in the era of private space flight.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY KIM SU-MIN [[email protected]]