The figure already represents 79.9 percent of their total operating profit of 2.88 trillion won (about €1.95 billion) in 2024. Combined sales almost doubled to 19.2 trillion won (around €13.5 billion) from 9.9 trillion won (about €7 billion) the previous year.
Hanwha Aerospace led the industry with a record operating profit of 1.43 trillion won (about €960 million), up from 355 billion won (about €240 million), as sales more than tripled to 11.8 trillion won (around €8.3 billion). LIG Nex1 posted a 64.6 percent increase in operating profit to 191.2 billion won (about €130 million) with sales rising 35.4 percent to 1.9 trillion won (about €1.3 billion).
KAI recorded 132 billion won (around €90 million) in operating profit, up 7.9 percent, though sales fell 6.4 percent to 1.5 trillion won (about €1 billion). Hyundai Rotem’s operating profit jumped 192.4 percent to 460.4 billion won (around €310 million), with sales up 40 percent at 2.6 trillion won (about €1.8 billion). Hanwha Systems saw operating profit drop 29.5 percent to 91.6 billion won (around €61 million), while sales increased 18.4 percent to 1.5 trillion won (about €1 billion).
Industry officials attributed the strong results to sustained overseas demand amid heightened geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and Europe. Hanwha Aerospace reported a 43 percent rise in second-quarter overseas sales, driven by exports of defence systems such as the Chunmoo multiple rocket launcher.
Hanwha Systems saw an 11.8 percent sales increase in the second quarter, supported by deliveries of multi-function radars for the Cheongung-II medium-range surface-to-air missile system to the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. KAI’s second-quarter overseas sales reached 227.3 billion won (about €153 million) on the back of FA-50 fighter jet exports to Poland and Malaysia.
With a combined order backlog standing at 111.9 trillion won (about €78.7 billion), market analysts expect further growth momentum in the second half of the year. “With continuous overseas orders for flagship products and deliveries, we have a positive outlook for the second half of the year and beyond,” an industry official said on condition of anonymity.
Source: Yonhap News Agency.
