Adieu 2025: Hanwha’s Bold Expansion vs. Aekyung’s Asset Sale
Creatrip Team
3 months ago
In 2025 Korea’s food and retail sector saw contrasting survival strategies. Hanwha Group, led by Kim Dong-sun, aggressively expanded its foodservice footprint — Hanwha Hotels & Resorts acquired comprehensive food company Ourhome (아워홈) and later Shinsaegae Food’s catering division, launching a new subsidiary 'Gourmet Galleria' and becoming a major player with annual sales around KRW 1.79 trillion. Hanwha aims to combine robotics and foodtech to reach KRW 5 trillion by 2030 and now challenges market leader Samsung Welstory in institutional catering. Conversely, Aekyung Group faced liquidity pressures and sold its founding unit Aekyung Industry (애경산업) — its household goods and cosmetics core — to a Taekwang Group consortium, ceding about 63% stake and completing a share purchase agreement (SPA) by year-end. The sale marks a deep restructuring as Aekyung refocuses on chemicals and aviation to survive.
