U.S. President Donald Trump is moving to end the Russia-Ukraine war, while domestic construction corporations are preparing to engage in Ukraine's reconstruction efforts.
According to the construction equipment industry on the 13th, the corporations expected to be the first deployed when the reconstruction project starts are HD Hyundai Construction Equipment and HD Hyundai Infracore. HD Hyundai's construction equipment division affiliates had achieved a market share of around 30% after entering the Ukrainian market in 2004. Many machines, including excavators and wheel loaders, are still being supplied, and they have the infrastructure, including repair personnel and facilities.
HD Hyundai Construction Equipment affiliates have been preparing to participate in the reconstruction project since 2023. In June of that year, Ukraine's Infrastructure Minister Oleksandr Kubrakov and officials from the Ukrainian Railways created a consultative body to promote the reconstruction project at HD Hyundai Construction Equipment's Ulsan plant. In July of the same year, Cho Young-cheol, president of HD Hyundai XiteSolution, which is the intermediate holding company of HD Hyundai Construction Equipment, attended the 'Ukraine Reconstruction Cooperation Corporations Meeting' as a member of a Polish economic delegation.
Dmytro Ponomarenko, the Ukrainian ambassador to South Korea, visited the technician training site of HD Hyundai Construction Equipment last April and discussed the supply of excavators for post-war recovery and training plans for technical personnel. HD Hyundai XiteSolution established a local branch in Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, in September of last year. An official from HD Hyundai noted, "We are acting as a communication channel between the government and corporations locally."
According to the emergency damage and reconstruction needs analysis report jointly created by the World Bank and the Ukrainian government, approximately 30,000 kilometers of roads, railways, ports, and airports have been destroyed since the war, leading to a reduction in transportation volume by more than 50%. There is a need for reconstruction and modernization efforts. Additionally, more than 10% of all dwellings in Ukraine have been destroyed, and reconstruction projects are underway, with an estimated requirement of about $80.3 billion (approximately 120 trillion won) for housing recovery over the next decade.
Heavy machinery such as large excavators and wheel loaders is essential for clearing the debris from buildings destroyed by war. Crawler cranes are also needed to construct new dwellings or bridges. A construction equipment industry official said, "The HD Hyundai group has already prepared for supply," adding, "As major projects are completed, the demand for small equipment will inevitably increase."
There are projections that Doosan Bobcat's equipment will be used in housing construction. Once the large-scale debris is cleared, small equipment such as compact loaders, mini excavators, and compact tractors will be deployed for housing construction and road maintenance. These machines are Doosan Bobcat's main products. Currently, Doosan Bobcat's equipment is being used in recovery efforts for wildfire damage in Los Angeles, U.S.