Hyundai Motor and Kia, Hyundai Motor Group’s two automakers, are joining hands with SK Innovation to develop batteries for hybrid electric vehicles, the group said Friday. The auto group will work with the country’s leading battery producer, SK Innovation, to develop “pouch-style” batteries optimized for electric vehicles. They hope to apply the batteries to Hyundai’s hybrid electric vehicles slated for release in 2024. The partnership will boost the country&rsq

US electric vehicle maker Tesla Inc.'s sales in South Korea nearly quadrupled last year from a year earlier on rising popularity of its vehicles, its financial statement showed Thursday. Tesla Korea said in a regulatory filing that it logged 716.2 billion won ($640 million) in sales in the Korean market in 2020, up 295 percent from a year earlier. Its annual operating profit soared 429 percent on-year to 10.7 billion won, and its net income skyrocketed 507.7 percent to 7.9 billion won, the com

Aero K Airlines Co. on Thursday began regular flights with an A320ceo aircraft as South Korea's eighth low-cost carrier. Aero K began services on a domestic route between Cheongju, 140 kilometers south of Seoul, and Jeju Island, with a plan to expand flights to Asian countries such as China, Taiwan, Japan and Vietnam, the company said in a statement. The budget carrier has leased three A320ceo passenger jets from US-based aviation investment manager Carlyle Aviation Partners Ltd. "We are

SsangYong Motor Co. was placed under court receivership once again Thursday as its Indian parent Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. has failed to attract an investor amid the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic and its financial status is further worsening. The Seoul Bankruptcy Court approved the debt-rescheduling process for SsangYong Motor as US vehicle importer HAAH Automotive Holdings Inc. didn't submit a letter of intent (LOI) to acquire the financially troubled carmaker. Mahindra had been in talks wit

GM Korea Co., the South Korean unit of General Motors Co., said Thursday it will suspend two of its three plants next week due to a lack of semiconductors parts. GM Korea will halt the No. 1 and No. 2 plants in Incheon, 40 kilometers west of Seoul, from April 19-23 as the semiconductor supply continues to remain fluid globally, the company said in a statement. "We will continue to work closely with our supply base to find solutions for our suppliers' semiconductor requirements and to mit

Hyundai Motor has installed its E-pit high-speed electric vehicle charging system at 12 rest stops on major expressways, as part of its efforts to expand their EV infrastructure, the company said Wednesday. The 350-kilowatt rapid chargers can charge up to 80 percent of an EV battery equipped with 800-volt system as quick as in 18 minutes. A total of 72 units, the first of its kind, have been installed on the country’s highway network, the automaker said. The stations will accommodate

Hyundai Motor Co. said Wednesday it will resume the plant that produces the IONIQ 5 all-electric model on Thursday following a weeklong suspension due to chip parts shortage. Hyundai Motor halted the No. 1 plant in Ulsan, 414 kilometers southeast of Seoul, which produces the IONIQ 5 and the Kona subcompact SUV, from April 7-14. The suspension at the No. 1 Ulsan plant comes amid a lack of semiconductor parts used in the Kona's front vehicle camera system and a problem in Hyundai Mobis Co.'s pro

Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's biggest carmaker, on Tuesday unveiled the all-new minivan Staria, two days ahead of its domestic sale. The Staria multipurpose vehicle comes with a 2.2-liter diesel engine or a 3.5-liter liquefied petroleum gas engine, Hyundai said in a statement. The Staria is available either as a passenger vehicle or a cargo vehicle. As a passenger vehicle, it comes in three versions with seven seats, nine seats or 11 seats, while as a cargo carrier, it comes with three se

South Korea's flagship carrier Korean Air Lines Co. is expected to have turned a profit in the first quarter of 2021, data showed Sunday, as the company expanded its logistics business after the new coronavirus pandemic virtually suspended passenger travel. The country's top airline operator is expected to post an operating profit of 76.6 billion won ($68.3 million) for the January-March period, compared with a loss of 82.3 billion won posted a year earlier, according to a poll released by Yonh

Hyundai Motor Co. said Friday it will temporarily suspend another domestic plant next week due to an electronic parts shortage. Hyundai will halt the operation of the Asan plant, 100 kilometers south of Seoul, which produces the Grandeur and Sonata sedans, from Monday to Tuesday, a company spokesman said over the phone. Previously, the country's biggest carmaker said it would suspend the No. 1 plant in Ulsan, 414 km southeast of Seoul, which produces the IONIQ 5 all-electric car and the Kona s

Kia Corp., South Korea's second-biggest carmaker, on Thursday launched the K8 sedan, the first model under its new brand logo, in the domestic market. The K8 comes with a 2.5-liter gasoline, 3.5-liter gasoline or 3.5-liter liquefied petroleum injection engine. The model with a 1.6-liter gasoline turbo hybrid engine will be released next month, the company said in a statement. Kia has received 24,000 preorders for the new sedan in the past 12 working days, already achieving 30 percent of its s

Financially troubled carmaker SsangYong Motor Co. said Thursday it will suspend the operation of its local plant for a week due to lack of semiconductor chips. SsangYong will halt its plant in Pyeongtaek, 70 kilometers south of Seoul, from April 8-16, with a plan to resume operations on April 19, the company said in a regulatory filing. The SUV-focused carmaker resumed operations on March 2 after halting the Pyeongtaek plant for 16 days in February as its subcontractors refused to supply parts

Hyundai Motor Co. said Wednesday it has suspended a domestic plant that produces the Ioniq 5 all-electric model due to a chip shortage. Hyundai said it will halt the operation of the No. 1 plant in Ulsan, 414 kilometers southeast of Seoul, which also produces the Kona subcompact SUV, due to lack of parts from April 7-14, a company spokesman said.  The weeklong suspension comes amid lack of semiconductor parts used in the Kona's front vehicle camera system and a problem in Hyundai Mobis

After nearly five years of preparations, budget airline begins service from Cheongju

The power struggle over Hanjin KAL, the holding company of Hanjin Group, seemed to settle at last as the three-way alliance of an estranged sister of the Korean Air chairman, an activist fund and a builder officially disbanded, industry data showed Friday. In a regulatory filing, Grace Holdings, which is a special purpose firm of the activist fund Korea Corporate Government Improvement, Bando Engineering and Construction and Cho Hyun-ah said they have ended their agreement for joint ownership