Mercedes-Benz Korea official dealer Han Sung Motor plans to continue investment to meet customer expectations and to accelerate the digital customer journey in the post-COVID-19 era, the CEO said in an interview with The Korea Herald. “Korea is now the fifth-biggest market for Mercedes-Benz in the world,” said Han Sung Motor’s CEO Ulf Ausprung in its Seoul headquarters where luxury Cheongdam showroom is located. “There was an immense development in the Korean car marke

Mobility Nov. 11, 2020

The European Chamber of Commerce in Korea's Passenger Vehicle Committee has called on the South Korean government to take a more prudent approach to the nation’s low-emission vehicle supply target at a press conference hosted on Tuesday. The low-pollution vehicle supply target system, which was initiated by the Ministry of Environment last year, is a system that obliges car sellers to sell a certain minimum percentage of low-emission vehicles. The government is also considering imp

Industry Nov. 10, 2020

As Joe Biden -- who has made energy and climate policy a high priority -- has won the US presidential election, Korean businesses related to eco-friendly cars, green energy and bio are expected to gain momentum in the US market. Earlier, the new president-elect pledged a $2 trillion plan to invest in eco-friendly infrastructure. He also promised to rejoin the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which Trump withdrew from, and to push for carbon emissions to reach “net zero” by 2050.

Industry Nov. 9, 2020

SsangYong Motor’s Tivoli Air returned again a year after its discontinuation to attract young outdoor enthusiasts in the wake of the pandemic. Tivoli, which was introduced as SsangYong’s first compact sport utility vehicle in 2016, was discontinued last year due to weak sales. However, as demand for small SUVs grows among young drivers for low-risk outdoor activities during the pandemic, Tivoli nimbly returned with more cargo space and greater cost efficiency. Tivoli should now

Mobility Nov. 8, 2020

With Democratic candidate Joe Biden likely to win the US presidential election, shares related to eco-friendly and bio companies rose in the local stock market Thursday. The market had predicted that companies related to electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy would benefit if Biden is elected. Earlier, he pledged a $2 trillion plan to invest in eco-friendly infrastructure. He also promised to rejoin the Paris Agreement on Climate Change, which Trump withdrew from, and to push for carb

Industry Nov. 6, 2020

GM Korea said Friday it would put off a plan to invest in its Bupyeong plant, which was scheduled for the production of next-generation global products, as workers’ strike continued.  GM Korea offered to invest about 215 billion won ($190 million) in its first plant in Bupyeong, which produces Chevrolet Trailblazer, during the 19th round of negotiations held last month. The automaker said it has already suffered a serious cash liquidity crisis due to production losses of more than 6

Mobility Nov. 6, 2020

While the automobile industry continues to face difficulties amid the pandemic, GM Korea’s labor union has decided to stage another three-day partial strike in protest against the management over wage and collective agreement negotiations, the automaker confirmed Thursday. The GM Korea branch of the hard-line umbrella labor union the Korean Metal Workers’ Union held a central committee meeting on the day to draw up guidelines for the struggle, including partial strikes. Accordin

Mobility Nov. 5, 2020

A total of 44 medals were awarded to foreign-invested companies and related organizations who contributed to the Korean economy, at the 2020 Foreign Company Day held on Tuesday in Seoul, according to the Korea Foreign Company Association, or FORCA. Inaugurated in 2001, the Foreign Company Day marks its 20th anniversary this year. The ceremony is held annually under the auspices of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and FORCA. At the event, medals were given to a total of 44 investm

Industry Nov. 4, 2020

Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors saw their retail sales rise in the US market last month, according to the automaker’s US units Wednesday. In the performance data released on the website of Hyundai Motor America, total sales in October recorded 57,395 units, up one percent from the same month last year. Retail sales reached 52,117 units, up 10 percent year-on-year. HMA said sales of sport utility vehicles, which accounted for 68 percent of total retail sales, increased 23 percent. Sales vo

Mobility Nov. 4, 2020

Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun met with the labor union for the first time since taking office. With both labor and management under new leadership, the automaker, which has long struggled with its militant union, now sees hope of stabilizing the relationship for the first time in 11 years. 　 Chung had a lunch meeting on Friday with Lee Sang-soo, head of the labor union, after President Moon Jae-in’s visits to Hyundai’s Ulsan production plants the same day, according to

Mobility Nov. 3, 2020

Hyundai Motor Group said Monday it has appointed Luc Donckerwolke to chief creative officer in charge of design-related communications for the Genesis brand, electric vehicle Ioniq and its fuel cell vehicles. Donckerwolke originally joined the South Korean automotive group in 2016, gradually overseeing design for Hyundai, Kia and Genesis brands as the chief design officer before resigning in March to focus on his health. He is returning to the group following temporary time away in which he t

Mobility Nov. 2, 2020

Hyosung T&C said Monday it planned to invest 60 billion won ($52.9 million) in the Cerkezkoy area near Istanbul, Turkey to more than double the size of its spandex production plant with an annual capacity of 15,000 metric tons by July next year. The fiber production unit of Hyosung Group said the spandex plant production capacity in Turkey would be about 40,000 tons when the expansion is completed. The firm’s decision came from Hyosung Chairman Cho Hyun-joon’s judgment that a

Industry Nov. 2, 2020

Since 2018, Hyundai Mobis has been operating the “Mobis Software Academy” that allows employees and researchers to complete specialized software training at a technical institute in Yongin City, a move to reinforce the firm’s software development capabilities. The biggest feature of the academy is to focus on convergence software processes specialized for autonomous driving, such as sensors and technologies for the vehicles’ “cognition,” “judgment,&ldq

Mobility Nov. 1, 2020

LG International said its operating profit in the third quarter of this year was estimated at 34.9 billion won ($30 million), up 19.5 percent from the same period last year. Sales rose 14.3 percent year-on-year to 3.1 trillion won. Net profit rose 358.9 percent to 41.3 billion won. LG International explained that the rebound was the result of an increase in trading volume -- for example, for palm oil and information technology parts -- and a strong performance in the logistics sector. &ld

Industry Oct. 30, 2020

President Moon Jae-in visited Hyundai Motor’s Ulsan plant on Friday for a tour of its future automobile production sites and reaffirmed the government’s strong willingness to foster eco-friendly future cars, officials said. 　 Moon was accompanied by Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun, Deputy Prime Minister Hong Nam-ki and the ministers of industry, environment and transportation. At the production sites, Moon reaffirmed the government’s plans to invest more than 20

Mobility Oct. 30, 2020