Asiana Airlines shifts to black in Q2 on recovery in travel demand

Asiana Airlines Inc., South Korea's second-biggest carrier, said Friday it swung to the black in the second quarter on growing demand for passenger travel. Asiana logged a net profit of 1.8 billion won ($1.36 million) in the April-June period of 2023, compared with a net loss of 91.5 billion won during the same period of last year, the company said in a regulatory filing. Sales rose 11.3 percent on-year to 1.57 trillion won in the second quarter, while operating profit sank 48.5 percent on-

Aug. 11, 2023

[Photo News] Hyundai Motor supports Jamboree Scouts

Hyundai Motor Group has continued to provide support for the participants of the 2023 World Scout Jamboree. Earlier this week, the Korean conglomerate opened up four of its employee training facilities for the Scouts who had to be relocated from the campsite in Saemangeum, a reclaimed tidal land area in Buan, North Jeolla Province, due to safety concerns over the blazing heat and lack of countermeasures. Hyundai Motor Group has offered various hands-on experiences for the Scouts, such as demonst

Aug. 11, 2023

[Photo News] World premiere of all-new Santa Fe

Hyundai Motor on Thursday held its world premiere of the all-new Santa Fe via the automaker's YouTube channel. The new SUV underwent a full change from the previous model released in 2018. The H-shaped headlamps and rear lights reflect the carmaker's emblem. The vehicle comes in two types of powertrains -- 2.5-turbo gasoline and 1.6-hybrid engines -- with a maximum of 281 horsepower. (Hyundai Motor Group)

Aug. 10, 2023

Hyundai Mobis to supply battery systems to VW

Hyundai Mobis, an automotive parts maker under South Korean conglomerate Hyundai Motor Group, said Wednesday that it secured a large-scale order for battery system assembly from Volkswagen Group. Although the exact terms of the contract were not disclosed, the Korean car parts maker said the order signifies Hyundai Mobis’ global competitive edge in technology and mass production of electric vehicle parts. The announcement marks Hyundai Mobis’ first overseas contract disclosed to the

Aug. 9, 2023

[Photo News] New ambassador for Audi Q4 e-tron

Audi Korea said Wednesday that Hwang Hee-chan, the South Korean midfielder for Wolverhampton Wanderers, has been named the official brand ambassador for the German carmaker’s battery-powered compact sport utility vehicle, the Q4 e-tron. “Our futuristic brand image goes well with world-class soccer player Hwang’s vision and passion,” the company said. (Audi Korea)

Aug. 9, 2023

8 carmakers to recall over 14,000 vehicles for faulty parts

Kia Corp., Mercedes-Benz Korea and six other companies will voluntarily recall more than 14,000 vehicles due to faulty components, the transport ministry said Wednesday. The companies, including Jaguar Land Rover Korea, Volkswagen Group Korea, Toyota Motor Korea Co., GM Korea Co., Tesla Korea and GM Asia Pacific Regional Headquarters Ltd., are recalling a combined 14,057 units of 21 different models, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in a statement. The problems that prompt

Aug. 9, 2023

Volkswagen Group Korea ramps up efforts to nurture tech talent

Volkswagen Group Korea continues to make efforts to contribute to the growth of automotive-specific software talent with a series of educational and job-creating initiatives for the local economy, responding to the need for highly trained software professionals in the increasingly digitized automotive industry. One pillar of the initiatives is a partnership with German nonprofit coding school 42 Wolfsburg and Kookmin University in Seoul. The collaboration centers around the "SEA:ME" --

Aug. 8, 2023

Hyundai Motor chief underscores India expansion in EV push

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun has emphasized the importance of India as a foothold for future mobility as the South Korean automaker looks to lead the country’s fast-growing electric vehicle market. According to the Korean automaker Tuesday, the Hyundai Motor chief visited Hyundai Motor Company’s technical center and manufacturing site in India from Monday to Tuesday to discuss mid to long-term growth strategies with local employees. Hyundai Motor said Chung closel

Aug. 8, 2023

S. Korea-China sea routes resume for first time after pandemic

Sea travel routes between South Korea and China will resume after being suspended for three years and seven months, according to the Korean shipping industry on Sunday. Jiaodong Shipping said it will begin transporting passengers via car ferries on the Weihai-Pyeongtaek route starting Wednesday. Starting Thursday, Yantai Ferry and Weidong Ferry will begin operation of car ferries to ferry passengers on the Yantai-Pyeongtaek and Weihai-Incheon routes, respectively. Weidong Ferry will also begin t

Aug. 6, 2023

[KH Explains] Hyundai faces hurdles in acquiring GM’s Indian plant

With global carmakers, mainly Tesla, making forays into the growing Indian market, Hyundai Motor Group is seeking to acquire General Motors’ manufacturing plant there -- but faces challenges in its efforts. The world’s third-largest carmaker plans to complete the acquisition of GM’s Indian plant in Talegaon by this year, however, is still facing opposition from some 1,000 workers formerly employed by the US automaker. On whether the terms of the deal to acquire the plant incl

Aug. 6, 2023

Hyundai, Kia recall 91,000 US vehicles as precaution to fire risks

Hyundai Motor and Kia are recalling over 91,000 vehicles in the US due to fire risks tied to a possible defect in certain components that could overheat, according to the Korean automobile manufacturers on Friday. They advised owners to park their vehicles outdoors and away from structures until they are verified for safety or repaired. The affected vehicles include Hyundai's 2023-2024 Palisade, 2023 Tucson, Sonata, Elantra and Kona models, and the 2023-2024 Seltos and 2023 Kia Soul and Spo

Aug. 4, 2023

Hyundai, Kia to recall 91,000 vehicles in US due to fire risks

Hyundai Motor Co. and its smaller affiliate Kia Corp. said Friday they will recall more than 91,000 recently released vehicles in the United States due to fire risks. The South Korean carmakers have submitted their recall reports to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. They advised customers to park affected vehicles "outside and away from structures" until the defective part is fixed. The electronic controller for the Idle Stop & Go oil pump assembly may contain

Aug. 4, 2023

Hyundai, Kia recall 91,000 US vehicles over fire risks, urge owners to park outside

Hyundai Motor and its sister firm Kia said on Thursday they are recalling more than 91,000 newer vehicles in the United States because of fire risks and urged owners to park outside and away from structures pending repairs. The recall covers Hyundai 2023-2024 Palisade, 2023 Tucson, Sonata, Elantra, and Kona vehicles and 2023-2024 Seltos and 2023 Kia Soul, Sportage vehicles. The Korean automakers said electronic controllers for the Idle Stop & Go oil pump assembly may contain damaged electr

Aug. 3, 2023

Hyundai Motor invests $50m in Canadian AI chip startup Tenstorrent

Hyundai Motor Group said Thursday it has invested $50 million in Canadian artificial intelligence semiconductor startup Tenstorrent in a move to secure key technology for future mobility. Tenstorrent recently closed a $100 million strategic funding round, for which Hyundai and its smaller affiliate Kia shelled out $30 million and $20 million, respectively. Samsung Catalyst Fund, Samsung Electronics’ evergreen multi-stage venture capital fund, was also reported as one of the largest investo

Aug. 3, 2023

[Photo News] World's first 3D taxiway navigation system

A pilot is testing a navigation system developed by Incheon Airport that provides real-time, three dimension information on ground traffic and runway routes of the airport, in June. Incheon Airport said Thursday it completed the development of the system, which is expected to help prevent aircraft entering the wrong runways and significantly reduce planes' ground travel time. The airport aims to operate the system in the airport starting 2024. (Incheon International Airport)

Aug. 3, 2023

Government vows compensation for residents amid probe into faulty apartment construction

The government and the ruling People Power Party agreed Wednesday to push for granting prospective residents of poorly constructed apartments developed by the state-run Korea Land and Housing Corp. (LH) the right to cancel their contracts. During an emergency high-level policy coordination meeting, they also promised to provide sufficient compensation to current residents of LH apartments affected by construction deficiencies. A land ministry inspection has found that not enough reinforcing ro

Aug. 2, 2023

[Photo News] Harley-Davidson US tour

Harley-Davidson Korea said Wednesday that a total of 40 riders and company staff completed its US tour held July 12-27, the first tour in four years since the COVID-19 outbreak. Riding on Harley-Davidson motorcycles, the participants crossed Route 66, one of the US' first highways, which connects eight states from Chicago to Los Angeles. (Harley-Davidson)

Aug. 2, 2023

Hyundai Mobis supplies overhead bin-shaped glove compartment for Kia EV9

Hyundai Mobis, the car parts manufacturer affiliated with Hyundai Motor Group, said Wednesday it has supplied newly developed glove compartments inspired by airplane overhead bins to Kia’s three-row family electric car, the EV9. The parabolic motion glove compartment refers to its design that opens and closes following a parabolic trajectory similar to overhead airplane luggage compartments. Unlike typical glove compartments with covers or rotational pull handles, it gradually slides open

Aug. 2, 2023

Complaints on flight ticket purchases double in H1: data

South Korea's fair trade regulator said Wednesday the number of consumer complaints regarding flight tickets more than doubled on-year in the first half of 2023 amid recovering demand for global travel. The number of such airline complaints filed to authorities reached 834 over the January-June period, rising sharply from the 305 cases tallied a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the Fair Trade Commission and the Korea Consumer Agency. The increase came in line with the rebound

Aug. 2, 2023

SK On names industry veteran as first CCO

South Korean battery cell maker SK On, affiliated with the nation’s second-largest conglomerate SK Group, on Tuesday named Sung Min-suk an automotive veteran as its first chief commercial officer. Sung, the former CEO of Hanon Systems, a Korea-based automotive parts maker, will take the new role to handle client relations as part of the battery maker’s aggressive global expansion. In line with the new appointment, SK On has also restructured its marketing, purchasing and project mana

Aug. 1, 2023