T'way Air to continue 'international flights to nowhere' later this month

Low-cost carrier T’way Air said Friday it will fly two more international flights to nowhere later this month, flying over Fukuoka, Japan. Passengers for the flights scheduled to take off from Incheon Airport on Jan. 30 and 31 will enjoy special deals for shopping at Lotte Duty Free stores as well as coupons and souvenir goods such as a calendar and blanket, the company said. “You will be able to enjoy the feelings of traveling as well as shopping with this new flight and have a un

Jan. 15, 2021

Kia to launch 7 new platform-based EV models by 2027

Kia Corp., South Korea's second-biggest carmaker by sales, said Friday it will launch seven all-electric models by 2027 to gain a share of the growing electric vehicle market. Kia said it will release its pure electric crossover model based on a new EV platform called the electric-global modular platform (E-GMP) in the first quarter, the company said in a statement. The new vehicle with the project name of "CV" will be the first global model to bear Kia's new logo. It also comes with

Jan. 15, 2021

4 companies to recall over 14,000 vehicles

Honda Motor Co., Audi Volkswagen Korea and two other companies will voluntarily recall over 14,000 vehicles to fix faulty components, the transport ministry said Friday. This is the latest in a series of recalls by carmakers operating in South Korea and vehicle importers due to problems with vehicle components. The four companies, including Scania Korea Group and Ford Sales Service Korea, are recalling a combined 14,217 units due to faulty components in five models, the Ministry of Land, Infra

Jan. 15, 2021

Korean Air files report for Asiana takeover

The nation’s flagship air carrier Korean Air on Thursday filed documents to the Fair Trade Commission and antitrust authorities in eight other countries for a review of its planned takeover of the debt-laden Asiana Airlines. “We’ve had a business combination application submitted by Korean Air regarding the purchase of Asiana Airlines’ shares,” the FTC said in a statement. The airline also took the same steps in eight other countries including the United States,

Jan. 14, 2021

Antitrust regulator starts review of Korean Air's Asiana takeover deal

South Korea's antitrust regulator said Thursday it has started to review a deal by Korean Air Lines Co., the country's biggest carrier, to buy the debt-ridden Asiana Airlines Inc. The Korea Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) said it will see if the merger of the nation's two largest carriers could constitute a monopoly or hurt market competition as Korean Air submitted an application for approval earlier in the day. In November 2020, Korean Air said it will acquire its smaller rival Asiana Airlines

Jan. 14, 2021

Auto exports sink over 20% on pandemic in 2020

South Korea's auto exports sank 21.4 percent on-year in 2020 as the new coronavirus pandemic disrupted global supply chains and sapped demand, data showed on Thursday. The country's shipments of cars reached 1.89 million units last year, compared with 2.4 million units posted in 2019, according to the data compiled by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. In terms of value, exports also moved down 13 percent to reach $37.4 billion. The number of cars shipped surrendered 33.9 percent on-

Jan. 14, 2021

Eastar to file for court receivership this month

Financially troubled budget carrier Eastar Jet said Wednesday it plans to file for court receivership this month to find a new investor amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Eastar Jet has had difficulties in finding a strategic investor since July when Jeju Air scrapped its plan to acquire the low-cost carrier. In the same month, Eastar's creditor banks withdrew their plan to extend loans to Jeju Air to help it take over Eastar. "Eastar aims to find a new investor through a court-led rehabilit

Jan. 13, 2021

Ford Korea to introduce six new cars in 2021

Ford Sales and Service Korea will release six new vehicles to gain an edge in the South Korean market, the automaker said Wednesday. Revealing the company’s business plan for 2021 in an online media conference, Ford Korea’s Managing Director David Jeffrey said the company aims to achieve strong growth in 2021 by focusing on the sport utility vehicle segment. “We approach 2021 full of energy, with a strong plan to launch relevant and exciting new vehicles that will ensure t

Jan. 13, 2021

Mercedes-Benz model 1st to be exchanged under lemon law in S. Korea

South Korea's transport ministry said Wednesday that a Mercedes-Benz S Series model became the first model that will be exchanged for malfunctions under a local lemon law. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said it held an experts' review committee meeting last month to decide whether the Mercedes-Benz S 350d 4MATIC sedan should be exchanged or refunded. The committee found the S 350d model's Idle Stop and Go (ISG) start-stop system is malfunctioning and ordered the German carm

Jan. 13, 2021

S. Korea to win back air control rights over southern Jeju sea

South Korea, China and Japan have agreed to a new air corridor over the sea south of Jeju Island following safety concerns over the growing air traffic in one of the busiest airspaces in the world, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. The new move, which is set to take effect in late March, will give Korea air traffic control over parts of the airspace previously controlled by air traffic authorities in Japan with dual airways set to be established in the section con

Jan. 12, 2021

GM Korea shows strong performance in export

General Motors Korea pulled off a strong performance last year in overseas markets, the automaker said Tuesday. The company shipped 285,499 vehicles overseas last year, ranking top among foreign-invested car brands here in terms of export volume, the company said. GM Motors beat Renault Samsung Motors and SsangYong Motor by about 14 times. In the domestic market, GM Korea said it sold 82,954 cars in Korea in 2020, losing by a small margin to Renault Samsung and SsangYong, which sold 95,93

Jan. 12, 2021

Volvo aims to break sales record this year

After hitting an all-time high in sales last year, Volvo Cars Korea is aiming for another record-breaking year, with a plan to sell 15,000 vehicles. To achieve that goal, it plans to invest 50 billion won to augment service networks and hire more staff. According to the automaker, it sold a total of 12,798 units in Korea last year which was its best performance since establishing a presence here in 1998. The figure was an increase of 21 percent from the year before. This year, the automak

Jan. 11, 2021

S. Korea reaches air traffic deal with China and Japan

South Korea, China and Japan have agreed to accept a United Nations aviation agency's proposal for an agreement critical for the safety of flights near Korea's southern resort island of Jeju, the transport ministry said Monday. South Korean and Japanese air traffic controllers have been directing north-south flights and east-west flights, respectively, in the "Akara corridor," which is part of South Korean airspace. Japan has shepherded flights between Shanghai and Japan on behalf of

Jan. 11, 2021

[Behind the Wheel] No surprises with VW’s solid new Passat GT

Volkswagen’s flagship sedan, Passat GT, has returned to Korea, with its base in the European model and with smarter technology to assist drivers. Introduced in 1973, the Passat has been one of the German automaker’s global best sellers, with over 30 million units sold around the world. The company introduced the fifth generation Passat in South Korea in 2005. Up to 2018 and through the eighth-generation Passat GT, it has sold 36,000 units of the car here. Both types of Passat,

Jan. 10, 2021

Hyundai Motor’s sedan Grandeur racks up 2 million unit sales

Hyundai Motor has sold over 2 million units of its signature sedan Grandeur, the company said Sunday. As of last year, the Grandeur sold a total of 2,000,573 units since the release of its first model in 1986, the automaker said. The sedan sold 145,463 units during last year alone, breaking its annual sales record and becoming the best-selling car in the country for the fourth consecutive year. The Grandeur was initially seen as a luxury car symbolizing success, but the sedan has more recen

Jan. 10, 2021

Korean Air unveils redesigned official website and app

Korean Air on Thursday unveiled its redesigned official website and mobile app, enabling customers to access the cheapest tickets for any given date or destination. The “cart saving” feature will allow customers to save details when they decide to leave the website during the process of booking so that they can come back and continue the process later. The revamped mobile app dubbed “Korean Air My” has adopted a simpler design and made main services more accessible, the

Jan. 7, 2021

Kia Motors unveils new logo, brand slogan

South Korea’s second-largest automaker Kia Motors unveiled a new logo and a brand slogan on Wednesday, as the company aims to transform its image to one of future mobility. The new logo and the slogan, which is “Movement that inspires,” comes as part of the automaker’s mid- and long-term strategy announced last year, which outlines the automaker’s plans to become a leading firm in the future mobility industry, the company said. “The new logo symbolizes Ki

Jan. 6, 2021

Ford Korea rolls out New Ford Explorer Platinum

Ford’s popular Explorer sports utility vehicle is to return with upgrades to its powertrain and design, Ford Sales and Service Korea said Wednesday. The automaker said it was rolling out the New Ford Explorer Platinum, with functions enhanced from the Explorer 2.3 Limited. The New Ford Explorer is equipped with 3.0-liter Ecoboost V6 gasoline engine that puts out up to 370 horsepower and a maximum torque of 54 kilogram-meters. The carmaker has fully digitized the 12.3-inch cockpit a

Jan. 6, 2021

Korean Air extends mileage expiration dates amid pandemic

Korean Air Lines Co., South Korea's biggest carrier, said Wednesday it will extend the expiration dates of mileage that expired at the end of 2020 and mileage that expires at the end of 2021 to 2022 amid the coronavirus pandemic. In June, Korean Air already extended mileage points due to expire at the end of 2020 by one year to 2021 as travel demand dried up due to the pandemic. With the additional mileage extension, Korean Air plans to kick off its revamped SKYPASS mileage program in April 20

Jan. 6, 2021

Korean Air clears hurdle for Asiana takeover

Shareholders of Korean Air Lines Co. agreed to change its corporate mandate to clear a hurdle for its takeover of Asiana Airlines, the airline said on Wednesday. In a meeting at its headquarters in Seoul, nearly 70 percent of stockholders who were present voted to pass an amendment of an article, drastically lifting the cap on total outstanding stocks from 250 million to 700 million. With the amendment, the company can push ahead with its plan to issue 173.6 million new shares to raise capita

Jan. 6, 2021