Hanwha–KAI "October watershed": National Assembly audit summons Kim Dong-kwan as KAI union plans Seoul march

October 2026 brings several tests of Hanwha's push for management participation at Korea Aerospace Industries, where it holds 15.89 percent as the second-largest shareholder. The National Assembly's annual audit is expected to take up the plan, with Hanwha Group Vice Chairman Kim Dong-kwan and KAI President Kim Jong-chul named as witnesses. KAI's labor union, which opposes Hanwha's involvement over information access and monopoly concerns, plans a march to the National Assembly in Seoul on October 14. The same month decides the KF-21 long-range air-to-air missile program, where Hanwha Aerospace competes against a Hyundai Rotem and LIG D&A consortium, with evaluation on October 6 to 8 and a preferred bidder on October 12. Hanwha argues that combining its engines, radars, and guided weapons with KAI's aircraft integration would raise Korea's aerospace competitiveness.