Hanwool Group: "Ki Won Kim, Former Executive Vice President of Samsung Electronics, Appointed as Group Vice Chairman"

Kiwon Kim, Vice Chairman of Hanwool Group.

Hanwool Group, which has Hanwool Materials Science and Hanwool Semiconductor as its affiliates, announced on the 9th that Ki Won Kim, former Executive Vice President of Samsung Electronics, has been appointed as the Group's Vice Chairman.

Vice Chairman Kim joined the planning team at Samsung Electronics' semiconductor division in 1989 and later served as an executive at the group's Restructuring Headquarters and the Future Strategy Office. Over 35 years, he held numerous key positions within the group, gaining recognition as a communication expert with hands-on experience. Notably, during his time at the group's Future Strategy Office (formerly the Restructuring Headquarters), he demonstrated strategic thinking and exceptional communication skills to help the group overcome various internal and external management challenges.

After returning to Samsung Electronics in 2017 as part of the Win-Win Cooperation Office, he was known to have made significant contributions to the company's management agenda by promoting collaboration between large corporations and SMEs and managing internal and external risks. Despite facing many challenging situations during his 35-year tenure at Samsung Group, he earned deep trust from many employees through his strong drive and smooth, communicative leadership.

In his inauguration remarks, Vice Chairman Kim emphasized, "The advanced materials and related equipment industries are not just corporate domains but national strategic assets," and stressed that "it is more important than ever to establish an industrial ecosystem where companies, government, and research institutes are organically connected."

He mentioned recent global supply chain restructuring, technological hegemony competition, and the acceleration of semiconductor support policies by various countries, diagnosing that it is time for Korea's materials industry to shift from a "follower model" to a "leader structure." In particular, he proposed as key directions: strengthening alignment with the national semiconductor strategy, improving self-sufficiency in materials, components, and equipment, diversifying global supply chains, and expanding industry-academia-research cooperation platforms.

Vice Chairman Kim holds the philosophy that "policy sets the direction, and companies fulfill it through execution." He has interpreted industrial policy not merely as something to react to, but as a "strategic opportunity." During his time at Samsung Electronics, he led the design of cooperative models through win-win consultations and spearheaded strategies for proactively responding to internal and external trade issues. Hanwool Group plans to systematically promote investment expansion in core industrial technologies, participation in industrial R&D projects, localization of high-performance semiconductor materials, and expansion of global partnerships.

Hanwool Group has advanced its high-performance material technology by establishing JKM (JKMaterials) under Hanwool Materials Science. Hanwool Semiconductor is also expanding its business into core equipment areas for processing. Vice Chairman Kim stated, "Competitiveness in advanced materials directly translates into competitiveness in the semiconductor industry, which in turn is directly linked to national competitiveness," adding, "I will work to ensure Hanwool Group grows as a key pillar in the industrial ecosystem through strategic investment and policy integration."

He went on to say, "Hanwool Group must strive not just as an ordinary company, but with the determination to become a partner in strengthening the competitiveness of Korea's materials industry."

As global technological hegemony competition intensifies, advanced materials related to semiconductors are emerging as a core axis of economic security. Vice Chairman Kim's joining is expected to significantly strengthen Hanwool Group's external credibility and policy response capabilities. A Hanwool Group representative stated, "With Vice Chairman Kim's insight into industrial policy, win-win solutions, and outstanding risk management abilities, Hanwool Group is expected to gain strong momentum to grow into a core player in the national strategic materials industry."

Meanwhile, Hanwool Materials Science and JKM have completed construction of an advanced semiconductor materials production plant in Sejong City and will hold a completion ceremony at 2 p.m. on the 12th, attended by relevant government and business figures. The company plans to lead the advancement of Korea's materials, components, and equipment industry by simultaneously expanding its global production base and making strategic investments in the next-generation semiconductor materials sector.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.