KMC
KMC Line is a South Korean maritime logistics company that transports steel coils, plates, petroleum coke, and heavy industrial equipment for major Korean industrial clients including POSCO, Hyundai Steel, and Hyundai Oilbank, using a proprietary specialized fleet of 7 vessels.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1989
- HeadquartersDongan, South Korea
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What KMC does
KMC Line (케이엠씨해운 주식회사) is a South Korean maritime logistics company founded on February 23, 1989, headquartered in Gwangyang, Jeollanam-do. The company specializes in coastal and international shipping of steel coils, steel plates, wire rods, slabs, petroleum coke, limestone, and heavy industrial equipment. It serves a concentrated set of major Korean industrial clients, principally POSCO (since 1989), Hyundai Steel, and Hyundai Oilbank, under direct long-term charter contracts. Its competitive core rests on proprietary vessel designs — the Steel Coil Ro-Ro Carrier, the Steel Plate Ro-Ro Carrier, the Petroleum Coke Carrier, and a fleet of 1,216 Steel Coil Cassettes — which enable loading and unloading of steel coils in adverse weather conditions.
The company operates four integrated service lines: Coastal Shipping (domestic transport using specialized Ro-Ro and bulk carriers), Global Shipping (international routes across Asia, North America, and Oceania), Heavy Cargo Shipping (worldwide transport of plant and industrial equipment via owned and leased heavy cargo carriers), and Offshore Wind Support (CTV and SOV vessel services via the KESTO joint venture with Denmark's ESVAGT, with a long-term Vestas contract for 2028-2039). KMC owns and operates a fleet of 7 vessels totaling approximately 37,000 DWT and employs around 135 staff (36 onshore, 99 seafarers). The company is privately held under the Tiandi Partners consortium, which acquired it in 2020; it rebranded to KMC Line in 2021 and reported FY2025 sales revenue of approximately KRW 63.9 billion. Its sole subsidiary is KMC Blue Whale, used for vessel ownership and maritime operations.
KMC's revenue model is transaction-fee based: vessel chartering and freight contracts are negotiated directly with enterprise clients at undisclosed pricing. The GTM motion is direct-to-enterprise B2B through dedicated account management, with no intermediaries. The company holds ISM Code certification (since 2002), multiple Presidential Commendations (1999, 2014, 2023), and consecutive Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries Grand Prizes (2006, 2007), reinforcing its standing as a leading Korean coastal shipping operator.
KMC firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- KMC
- Legal name
- 케이엠씨해운 주식회사
- Website
- https://kmclines.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1989
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- KMC Line is a South Korean maritime logistics company that transports steel coils, plates, petroleum coke, and heavy industrial equipment for major Korean industrial clients including POSCO, Hyundai Steel, and Hyundai Oilbank, using a proprietary specialized fleet of 7 vessels.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
KMC industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Maritime Shipping and Cargo Logistics
- NAICS
- Deep Sea Freight Transportation (483111), Coastal and Great Lakes Freight Transportation (483113), Marine Cargo Handling (48832)
- SIC
- Deep Sea Foreign Transportation Of Freight (4412), Water Transportation (4400)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Breakbulk & Project Cargo Handling (Heavy Lift, Out-of-Gauge Handling) (TLAHALAH)
Keywords
Where KMC is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dongan
- HQ country
- South Korea
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
KMC business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Coastal Shipping Services: Domestic Korean coastal shipping of steel coils, plates, wire rods, slabs, limestone, and petroleum coke using specialized Ro-Ro and bulk carriers. Revenue generated through vessel charter contracts and freight fees with major industrial clients.
- Global Shipping Services: International shipping services covering routes to North America, Southeast Asia, Australia, India, and Taiwan. Exports steel products and imports raw materials for Korean clients.
- Heavy Cargo Shipping: Transportation of heavy industrial equipment and project cargo worldwide using owned and leased Heavy Cargo Carriers.
- Offshore Wind Support: Joint venture KESTO provides offshore wind farm maintenance support, including crew transfer vessel deployment for wind farm operators.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
KMC product offering
Product offeringCore offering
KMC Line provides maritime logistics services focused on transporting steel products, bulk cargo, petroleum coke, limestone, and heavy industrial equipment using a fleet of 7 specialized vessels. Its services span domestic Korean coastal shipping, international shipping to Asia, North America, and Oceania, heavy cargo transportation, and offshore wind farm maintenance support via the KESTO joint venture. The company relies on proprietary vessel designs including Steel Coil Ro-Ro Carriers, Steel Plate Ro-Ro Carriers, and Petroleum Coke Carriers.
Product overview
KMC Line operates as an integrated maritime logistics company offering four core service lines: Coastal Shipping (domestic transportation of steel and energy products using specialized Ro-Ro carriers and bulkers), Global Shipping (international cargo transport to Asia, North America, and Australia), Heavy Cargo Shipping (worldwide transport of plant equipment and heavy industry cargo), and Offshore Wind Support (vessel-based maintenance and operational support for offshore wind farms). The company owns and operates a fleet of 7 vessels totaling 37,000 DWT, including Coil Ro-Ro Carriers, Global Bulkers, Plate Ro-Ro Carriers, and Petroleum Coke Carriers. KMC's proprietary innovations include Steel Coil Ro-Ro Carriers and Coil Cassettes for adverse weather operations, supplemented by strategic backhaul arrangements for multiple clients.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Coastal Shipping (내항화물운송) Domestic Korean coastal shipping services transporting steel coils, steel plates, petroleum coke, and limestone using specialized vessels including Steel Coil Ro-Ro Carriers, Steel Plate Ro-Ro Carriers, and Petroleum Coke Carriers. Targets major Korean steel mills and energy producers.
- Global Shipping (외항화물운송) International shipping services covering routes to Asia (China, Japan, Vietnam, Taiwan), North America (USA, Canada), Oceania (Australia), South Asia (India), and Southeast Asia (Indonesia), transporting steel products and raw materials including coils, plates, wire rods, slabs, and petroleum coke.
- Heavy Cargo Shipping (중량물운송)
Quantifiable outcome
- Market leadership in domestic coastal shipping for steel products
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use KMC
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
KMC technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
KMC partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ESVAGTcoreKMC Line formed a joint venture called KESTO with Denmark-based ESVAGT to provide offshore wind farm maintenance support services in South Korea. The JV secured a long-term contract (2028-2039) to deploy two crew transfer vessels at the Shinan-Ui offshore wind farm for Vestas, expected to supply electricity to approximately 350,000 households.
- Daymer IngredientsminorKMC signed a distribution agreement with UK-based Daymer Ingredients in May 2025, expanding its presence in the food ingredient distribution market as part of the potato starch supply chain.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves10 records
Expansion highlights5 records
KMC competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Heung-A Shipping Co., Ltd. Korean mid-sized shipping company operating bulk carriers and container vessels on regional Asia-Pacific routes. Comparable to KMC in serving Korean industrial clients with specialized vessel tonnage across coastal and regional trades.
- Korea Line Corporation: Korean bulk shipping company operating a fleet of bulk carriers and specialized vessels across global routes. Comparable to KMC's bulk cargo, steel product, and heavy lift ocean transportation service lines, particularly for Korean industrial clients.
- Sinokor Merchant Marine Co., Ltd. Korean regional coastal and short-sea shipping operator with a fleet of specialized carriers serving Korea, Japan, China, and Southeast Asia. Closely comparable to KMC in coastal shipping of steel and industrial cargoes with multi-country route coverage.
- Pan Ocean Co., Ltd. Korean bulk carrier and breakbulk specialist with a global shipping network and a fleet of bulk carriers, tankers, and specialized vessels. Directly comparable to KMC in specialized bulk and breakbulk ocean freight across Asia-Pacific and Americas routes.
- ESVAGT A/S: Danish offshore wind service vessel operator and KMC's JV partner in KESTO. Directly comparable to KMC's offshore wind support business line and provides a benchmark for CTV/SOV operations at European offshore wind farms.
- Polaris Shipping Co., Ltd. Korean dry bulk and specialized carrier serving steel mills and industrial clients globally, including Cape-size and Panamax bulkers. Comparable to KMC's global shipping segment for raw materials and steel-related bulk commodities.
Broad incumbents
- Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL): Japanese global shipping giant with a diversified fleet of bulkers, tankers, car carriers, and specialized Ro-Ro/breakbulk vessels. Comparable to KMC's heavy cargo, breakbulk steel, and global shipping service lines, with stronger scale and global agency network.
- HMM Co., Ltd. (Hyundai Merchant Marine): Korea's largest container shipping line and a major global ocean carrier. Overlaps with KMC on Korean-origin international shipping and global freight services, though HMM is far larger and primarily focused on container shipping rather than specialized breakbulk and heavy cargo.
- SK Ocean (formerly SK Shipping): Korean shipping arm of SK Group with a diversified fleet of tankers, LNG carriers, and bulkers. Overlaps with KMC on petroleum coke and energy-related bulk cargo transportation for major Korean industrial clients.
Regional players
- Dongnama Shipping Co., Ltd. Korean coastal and regional shipping operator serving steel mills and industrial clients on Asia-Pacific routes. Closely comparable to KMC's coastal shipping segment, especially for steel coils and plates transported between Korean ports.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
KMC social profiles
Digital presenceKMC compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
KMC financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
KMC leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
KMC subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
KMC funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
KMC M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about KMC
What does KMC do?
KMC Line provides maritime logistics services focused on transporting steel products, bulk cargo, petroleum coke, limestone, and heavy industrial equipment using a fleet of 7 specialized vessels. Its services span domestic Korean coastal shipping, international shipping to Asia, North America, and Oceania, heavy cargo transportation, and offshore wind farm maintenance support via the KESTO joint venture. The company relies on proprietary vessel designs including Steel Coil Ro-Ro Carriers, Steel Plate Ro-Ro Carriers, and Petroleum Coke Carriers.
Is KMC a public or private company?
KMC is a private company. It is classified as private equity controlled and is currently operating.
When was KMC founded?
KMC was founded in 1989. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is KMC based?
KMC is headquartered in Dongan, South Korea, in the Asia region.
How does KMC make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Coastal Shipping Services are the primary driver. The others are global Shipping Services, heavy Cargo Shipping and offshore Wind Support.
Who are KMC's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Heung-A Shipping Co., Ltd., Korea Line Corporation, Sinokor Merchant Marine Co., Ltd., Pan Ocean Co., Ltd., ESVAGT A/S and Polaris Shipping Co., Ltd.. Broad incumbents are Mitsui O.S.K. Lines (MOL), HMM Co., Ltd. (Hyundai Merchant Marine) and SK Ocean (formerly SK Shipping). Dongnama Shipping Co., Ltd. is listed as a regional player.
Does KMC have an API?
No public API is recorded for KMC.
What industry is KMC in?
KMC's product category is Maritime Shipping and Cargo Logistics. Its primary akta.pro industry code is TLAHALAH, Breakbulk & Project Cargo Handling (Heavy Lift, Out-of-Gauge Handling). Its NAICS code is 483111 and its SIC code is 4412.