Court greenlights KG Group’s acquisition of SsangYong Motor at W900b

A Seoul bankruptcy court on Tuesday approved a local consortium led by chemical-to-steel firm KG Group to acquire a 58.85 percent stake in SsangYong Motor at a reported 900 billion won ($700 million), ending a two-way race to acquire the debt-ridden South Korean SUV maker. SsangYong has been under court receivership for 14 months after its Indian parent Mahindra & Mahindra failed to attract fresh funding amid worsening financial health during the pandemic.  Following the court&rs

June 28, 2022

Korean Air to bring back flights to half of pre-pandemic level by Sept.

The country’s largest air carrier, Korean Air, is gearing up to restore international flights that had plunged during the last three years due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We plan to restore international flights to 50 percent of pre-pandemic levels by September,” the company said Tuesday. Currently, Korean Air’s international flights are only one-third of the pre-pandemic level, but it plans to gradually increase flights starting in July, when the summer

June 28, 2022

KAI to build test version of UAM aircraft in 2 years

Korea Aerospace Industries is venturing into the air taxi business with an aim to develop a small-sized Urban Air Mobility aircraft by 2024 so it can be used as a test model. KAI said it will later develop a full-scale UAM aircraft that can be used as a standardized model for the air taxi business in Korea amid the government’s push to commercialize air taxis by 2025.  According to industry sources, KAI is building a small-sized UAM aircraft that will be 25 percent to 40 percent sma

June 28, 2022

[Best Brand] Samsung C&T enters SMR, eco-friendly energy biz

The engineering and construction division of Samsung C&T Corporation is aggressively entering the eco-friendly energy businesses such as small modular reactors, or SMRs, green hydrogen and ammonia. The Engineering & Construction Division of Samsung C&T recently invested $70 million in NuScale Power, an American SMR company, laying a stepping stone for its SMR business overseas. SMRs are safer compared to conventional nuclear reactors, emits nearly zero carbon, and guarantees a stab

June 27, 2022

How feeding seagulls became a boat trip selling point

As a cruise ferry on Han River was about to leave the dock on a Tuesday afternoon in June, dozens of seagulls began to gather around. Some sat on the top rails of the ship while others began to fly around as passengers started to come out to the deck. Once the engine starts, you get the sense what they are here for. People were holding snacks with their fingers or throwing them for the birds to eat. Laughter and joyful scream filled the ship as people of all age groups -- from elderly peopl

June 27, 2022

Bumpy road ahead for wage talks at Hyundai Motor Group

A labor dispute is brewing at Hyundai Motor Group, as its unionized workers warned of a possible strike after they failed to narrow differences with management over wage hikes and working conditions amid the automaker’s shifting focus toward electric vehicles, a threat to its manufacturing-focused workforce. According to the industry on Sunday, the labor union with some 47,000 members at the Hyundai Motor Co. branch of the Korean Metal Workers’ Union under the Korean Confederation

June 26, 2022

Porsche Korea CEO elected new KGCCI head

Porsche Korea CEO Holger Gerrmann was elected as the ninth German chairperson at the 41st Korean-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry Annual General Meeting on Thursday. Run by a co-chairing system, KGCCI will now be led by Gerrmann and Korean Chairperson Park Hyun-nam, who is also the Deutsche Bank CEO. “We will continue to create the foundation for Korean and German companies to grow together, honoring the long-standing successful business relationships of our two countries and emp

June 24, 2022

[Test Drive] Lexus’ first plug-in hybrid offers smooth, economical yet luxury driving

JEJU CITY -- The new and partially electrified SUV lineup Lexus NX could be an alternative for big car-loving Korean customers looking for a fuel-efficient vehicle that does not compromise on luxury. NX 450h+, the first plug-in hybrid vehicle from the luxury auto brand, can drive up to an average of 23.8 kilometers on a liter of gas. Its fuel efficiency is close to that of the all-new Kia Niro, also a hybrid sport utility vehicle that can drive up to an average of 23.7 kilometers on a liter of

June 23, 2022

GM Korea adds pickup truck brand, vows to break even this year

GM Korea launched its premium SUV and pickup truck brand GMC in South Korea on Wednesday, renewing its marketing strategy to target diversified customer demands. Calling it a multi-brand strategy, the new plan is about having many of its global brands, including Chevrolet, Cadillac, and GMC, provide a wide range of choices for domestic customers who enjoy diverse lifestyles. The company, which has undergone a massive restructuring process since 2018, also hopes to reach a break-even point this

June 22, 2022

[Photo News] IONIQ 6 SNEAK PEEK

A sketch released on Tuesday shows the design concept of Hyundai Motor’s new electric vehicle Ioniq 6.  Hyundai Motor said Ioniq 6 will have streamliner design typology called Electrified Streamliner, with simple lines and aerodynamic form, reflecting its commitment to fulfill both aesthetic and functional aspects of an EV. Built on the carmaker’s Electric Global Modular Platform which is developed to provide an optimized wheelbase and interior design, Ioniq 6’s full de

June 21, 2022

S. Korea to extend fuel tax cuts amid inflation woes

The South Korean government on Sunday decided to further extend tax cuts on fuel consumption as part of efforts to ease inflationary pressure from surging energy costs. Starting next month, the legal cap of fuel tax cuts will be increased to 37 percent from the current 30 percent. The tentative measure will be effective until the end of this year. "The government will immediately implement measures to ease the burden from high oil prices,” Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho told repor

June 19, 2022

Hyundai, Kia hit 3 million milestone in eco-friendly car sales

South Korean automotive duo Hyundai Motor and Kia have hit a 3 million milestone in sales of eco-friendly cars, 14 years since their first hybrid models debuted back in 2009. Eco-friendly cars include hybrid electric, full-electric and fuel-cell electric vehicles. According to Hyundai Motor Group on Sunday, its two brands sold a total of 3,006,414 units of eco-friendly cars over the past 14 years. The figure makes up 3.2 percent of their total car sales during the same period. Their green

June 19, 2022

[Test Drive] Smooth and stable: Niro EV shines in the rain

Driving a small electric vehicle in the pouring rain isn’t always pleasant. But the second generation Kia Niro EV has proven that even a small EV can be stable and smooth under slippery conditions. Running on front-wheel drive, the battery-powered compact vehicle seemed to have an edge for driving in extreme weather conditions over rear-wheel drive vehicles. It comes with a 150-kilowatt or 204 horsepower single electric motor, enough for an average electric battery SUV. During a 92-kilom

June 19, 2022

E-scooter rental service Lime Korea suspends operations amid changing laws

Lime, the world’s leading operator of rented electric scooters and bikes, said in a statement on Wednesday that it will be withdrawing its operations from South Korea on June 30. Constant traffic law revisions and differing local government policies were named by the company as the primary reasons behind this “tentative suspension” of operations. Lime saw a sharp drop in its customers in 2021, when a law that made wearing helmets mandatory for people riding electric scooters

June 16, 2022

[KH Explains] EV scare building up in Korea over a series of battery fires

Early this month, an electric vehicle caught fire in Busan, sparking safety concerns among drivers of battery-powered cars. It was an Ioniq 5, Hyundai Motor’s all-electric model, that went up in flames just three seconds after crashing into a highway toll gate. The driver and one passenger in the car died in the accident, but investigations are ongoing to figure out whether they died from the crash or whether they were not able to escape from the fire that broke out so quickly. While th

June 16, 2022

Large aircraft return to cover rising overseas travel demand

Large-sized aircraft that can fit around 400 passengers are set to return soon, as airliners are facing rapid growth in overseas travel demand. The country’s largest air carrier Korean Air will bring jumbo jets – the B747-8i and A380-800 -- back for routes connecting Incheon to Los Angeles and New York starting from July, according to Korean Air. The decision to resume flights of large-sized aircraft comes as Korean Air tries to meet the growing demand for international travel. Th

June 14, 2022

[Photo News] Meet Torres

A promotional image unveils the entire exterior of SsangYong Motor's new mid-sized SUV Torres. Under the brand slogan, “Adventurous,” the SUV maker mixed retro and future-oriented design elements while securing a large cargo space of up to 703 liters, capable of storing four caddie bags and more.  Other technological features like Lane Keeping Assist and Forward Collision Warning have been added as standard options. The price ranges between 26.9 million won and 30.4 million wo

June 13, 2022

Renault Korea Motors vows to stay committed to Korea

With big is beautiful still the mantra for many Korean drivers, small-car specialist Renault Korea Motors faces a challenge in the local market. So as the carmaker commits to the Korean market, new CEO Stephane Deblaise’s priority is designing a new car that suits Korean tastes and taking it to foreign markets with similar preferences. “Korean customers prefer big cars over small cars, and there are no such cars in our lineup. So we are thinking about making a big car here in Kore

June 12, 2022

[Photo News] Minister in self-driving car

Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Hee-ryong gives a thumbs-up during a test operation of Hyundai Motor’s level 4 autonomous car-hailing service RoboRide, delivered by Ioniq 5 in Gangnam, Seoul, Thursday. The carmaker said it will run the service via car-hailing service application i.M. between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. to minimize inconvenience of commuters. Up to three passengers can use the service, including one person able to drive the vehicle in case of an emergency. Level

June 9, 2022

Korean EVs, batteries’ global market share dips

The global market share of Korean-made battery electric vehicles (BEVs) and lithium-ion batteries shrank last year with greater competition from Chinese and German makers, according to a report released on Wednesday by a major business lobby group. Based on statistics from the International Trade Center, the Federation of Korean Industries (FKI) analyzed the changing landscape of the global BEV and lithium-ion battery industry which is growing at over 20 percent on annual average. BEVs refer t

June 8, 2022