삼성은 지난 11월 패키지딜을 통해 석유화학 부문 삼성종합화학, 삼성토탈과 방산 부문 삼성테크윈, 삼성탈레스 등 네 개 계열사를 한화에 일괄 매각한다고 깜짝 발표한 바 있다. 계약 규모는 총 1조 9,000억원에 달한다.
한화는 이번 계약으로 각 분야 국내 1위 업체가 되었지만 외국계 파트너들의 신임을 얻기에는 역부족이었다.
그 동안 삼성탈레스는 삼성의 영업력을 바탕으로 높은 매출을 올렸고 덕분에 탈레스 역시 배당금을 두둑이 챙겼다. 그에 비해 한화는 여러모로 파트너로서 매력이 떨어진다는 것이 업계의 설명이다.
이 관계자는 “일부 중동 국가들을 제외하고 한화의 글로벌 인지도가 상대적으로 낮다”며 “향후 한국 사업은 탈레스의 한국지사를 통해 이루어질 것으로 보인다”고 말했다.
다른 관계자는 최근 방한했던 프랑스 본사 임원의 말을 빌어 “탈레스 경영진들이 삼성-한화 빅딜에 대해 공식 발표 하루 전에야 통보를 받았다”며 “관련 논의에서 소외 당했다”고 불만을 나타내기도 했다고 전했다.
한편 삼성계열사들에 대한 인수자금 마련에 고심 중인 한화로서는 추가 지분 매입이 부담이 될 수 밖에 없다. 다만 향후 지불해야 하는 배당금이 줄어드는 만큼 장기적으로 큰 무리는 없을 것이라는 것이 업계의 관측이다.
<관련 영문 기사>
Thales to sell stake in Samsung joint venture: sources
Thales, Europe’s biggest defense electronics company, plans to sell its 50 percent stake in Samsung Thales to the company’s new owner Hanwha Group, multiple sources said Monday.
“An official announcement is imminent as their talks are being finalized,” said a source familiar with the matter.
“Thales considers Hanwha less attractive as a partner. For the same reason, Total is also looking to sell its stake in its joint venture with Samsung.”
Samsung Thales is a 50-50 joint venture between Samsung and Thales established back in 2001. It has engaged in the design and development of digital defense technologies and systems.
The alleged selloff plan comes after Samsung announced in November it would sell four chemical and defense units to Hanwha, a South Korean family-run conglomerate, in a deal estimated at 1.9 trillion won ($1.72 billion)
Samsung said it would sell a 32.4 percent stake in Samsung Techwin for 840 billion won, as well as a 57.6 percent stake in Samsung General Chemicals for 1.06 trillion won. The deal is scheduled to be completed within the half of this year.
Two other affiliates, Samsung Thales and Samsung Total Petrochemicals, were automatically included in the sale-acquisition deal since they are half-owned by the companies being sold to Hanwha.
With the acquisition, Hanwha, whose main businesses include defense and solar power, is expected to become the No. 1 player in the industries in Korea. But Thales and Total, both from France, do not appear to be happy with the new business partner.
“Thales and Total have taken advantage of Samsung’s negotiation power in the region, while enjoying generous dividends from the ventures,” said another source on condition of anonymity.
“But Hanwha is rarely known outside Korea, except for some presence in the Middle East,” he said, adding that Thales will continue its Korean business through its regional unit.
Another source said the Thales management was also greatly disappointed with Samsung’s surprise announcement of the Hanwha deal.
“A Thales executive from the French headquarters said they were informed about the deal one day before the official announcement in Seoul,” he said.
Following the departure of foreign partners, industry watchers predict that Hanwha could experience financial pressure when its resources are already tight from funding the Samsung deal.
“But in the longer term, the financial burden would be relieved considering the generous dividends that have been offered to the foreign shareholders,” said a market analyst who wished to be unnamed due to the sensitivity of the issue.
As part of its renewed commitment to its core defense business, Hanwha had proposed the buyout of Samsung Techwin last year. As the company owned stakes in Samsung General Chemicals, it allegedly agreed to a package deal.
With the acquisition, Hanwha is expected to see 2.6 trillion won in defense sales, up from the current 1 trillion won, while its chemical sales will surge to 18 trillion won, according to industry estimates.
(
jylee@heraldcorp.com)
