Hanwha Philly Shipyard has appointed Hyuk Kim as president from 2 November as it expands into US naval construction while retaining its commercial shipbuilding operations, gCaptain reported. He replaces David Kim, who helped oversee Hanwha’s purchase of the Philadelphia facility in 2024 and an increase in its workforce to nearly twice its previous size.
The appointment accompanies a restructuring announced the previous week that will put the yard under Hanwha Defense USA, the American subsidiary of Hanwha Aerospace. Hyuk Kim will report to retired Rear Admiral Tom Anderson, the defence subsidiary’s president of US shipbuilding and the executive responsible for its American shipbuilding activities.
The change in leadership follows Hanwha Defense USA’s selection to construct a $269 million Medium Landing Ship for the US Navy and Marine Corps. According to gCaptain, the agreement with TOTE Services covers a single vessel and includes options for another three. In July, the Philadelphia yard also secured a Missile Defense Agency contract for a Missile Range Instrumentation Vessel, its first newbuild award since Hanwha took ownership.
Kim has more than 25 years of experience across commercial and naval shipbuilding, including senior roles at Hanwha Ocean and its predecessor, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering. Anderson cited that background in discussing the appointment. Hanwha says its main South Korean yard builds between 35 and 45 naval and commercial vessels a year. Kim identified operational improvements, greater building capacity and workforce development as priorities for supporting both types of construction in Philadelphia.
Hanwha completed its acquisition of the yard in December 2024 and has outlined plans to upgrade facilities, increase output and apply South Korean shipbuilding expertise in the United States. Its move into defence work adds a new role to a significant commercial supplier: according to Hanwha, the facility has delivered roughly half of the large oceangoing Jones Act commercial vessels built domestically since 2000. The company says it intends to serve both markets, leaving the balance between increased naval production and commercial shipbuilding needs a central issue for the expansion.