Korea, Japan airport officials pledge all-out efforts for travel recovery

Airport officials of South Korea and Japan on Monday pledged to make all-out efforts to facilitate travels between the two countries, with the resumption of visa-free, individual tours to Japan starting Oct. 11. According to the Korea Airports Corp., the state-run agency’s President and CEO Yoon Heyong-joon traveled to Japan to hold talks with airport- and tourism-related officials in Tokyo and Osaka. On Monday, Yoon met with Isao Takashiro, chairman and CEO of Japan Airport Terminal, at H

Sept. 26, 2022

Car defect cases double in three years

Cases of reported car defects have more than doubled in three years, a lawmaker said Sunday. A total of 18,452 car defect reports had been filed to the Transport Ministry’s vehicle recall center from 2019 to 2021, according to Korea Transportation Safety Authority data that Democratic Party lawmaker Min Hong-chul had obtained. By year, 3,750 car defect cases were filed in 2019, 6,917 cases in 2020, and 7,785 cases in 2021, an increase by 2.1 times during the past three years. Defects repor

Sept. 25, 2022

[Herald Design Forum 2022] Genesis designer on 3 elements that built the brand’s success

When designing a Genesis car, Yoon Il-hoon, vice president of HMC Genesis Design Group, says he focuses on three key pillars -- audaciousness, progressiveness, and infusing Korean traits. “The journey of Genesis has not been that long but we are always owning up to audacious challenges when designing new models by exploring progressively and incorporating the most Korean-like traits that can accentuate the brand’s originality,” Yoon said in an interview with The Korea Herald.

Sept. 21, 2022

[From the Scene] Manpower shortage amid travel surge strikes Schiphol Airport

Korea Herald correspondent AMSTERDAM -- Upon arrival at Schiphol Airport, the third-busiest airport in the world, hundreds were lined up at closed check-in counters. For a flight that was to take off at 9 p.m. to Incheon, South Korea, there were more than 200 people waiting in line already for the check-in counter to open at 4 p.m. “We came here as early as possible because our tour guide told us Schiphol Airport is extra busy these days due to a manpower shortage. He said we could miss ou

Sept. 21, 2022

Incheon Airport to host ACI CX Global Summit next year in Incheon

Korea Herald correspondent KRAKOW, Poland—Incheon Airport will be hosting a global summit on airport customer experience held by the Airports Council International in Incheon next year. The announcement was made during the closing ceremony of the ACI CX Global Summit 2022 held in Krakow, Poland, on Thursday. This follows Incheon Airport winning the level 5 Customer Experience Accreditation, the highest level and the first granted by the ACI since accreditation began in April 2019, in recog

Sept. 19, 2022

'Future of mobility is in user experience technology'

Hyundai Motor Group on Friday unveiled its vision for future mobility with its purpose-built vehicle and the latest user experience technology that underlies it, with an aim to help drivers and passengers make better use of their time inside the vehicle. Showcasing prototypes and technologies at UX Tech Day 2022 in Seoul on Friday, engineers at the carmaker said these future mobility features are set to make a market debut after 2025. According to the carmaker, dozens of patent technologies have

Sept. 18, 2022

Incheon Airport's customer service certified with highest mark by ACI

Korea Herald correspondent KRAKOW, Poland-- Incheon Airport has become the world’s first airport to be granted level 5 Customer Experience Accreditation by the Airports Council International on Wednesday, in recognition of its customer service and systematic operations to cope with increased travel demand in the post-pandemic era. This is the first time that the ACI has granted the highest level since Customer Experience Accreditation began in April 2019 to evaluate world airports’ c

Sept. 15, 2022

VW Korea launches its first electric SUV

In its first debut outside of Europe, Volkswagen Korea launched its pure electric sports utility vehicle, ID.4, in Seoul on Thursday, stressing that the local market is "essential" for the German carmaker's e-mobility business. "Korea is one of the fastest pioneering EV countries. We decided to make sure we have our first ID.4 outside of Europe (in South Korea), as South Korea is essential for Volkswagen's e-mobility business," said Dr. Silke Bagschik, head of product line e

Sept. 15, 2022

Volvo XC40 makes its Korean debut

Volvo's popular compact SUV XC40 has finally made its South Korean debut -- four years since its official global launch. The model comes with a digital connectivity package the automaker co-developed exclusively for the Korean market with local mobility service firm T Map Mobility. The package, which took two years and 30 billion won ($21.5 million) to develop, includes an information and entertainment platform, a digital key mobile application, and a roadside assistant for troubleshooting

Sept. 15, 2022

Renault QM6 enhances luxury appeal

Renault Korea has enhanced the luxury appeal of its popular sport utility vehicle QM6. One distinctive feature is the use of Alcantara fabric for the highest Premiere trim. Alcantara is a suedelike fabric noted for its durability and carbon-neutral manufacturing process. A substitute for leather and vinyl, the fabric is increasingly being used in luxury vehicles. For the QM6, seats and armrests are covered in black Alcantara. Driving assistance features have also been bolstered. From the midrang

Sept. 12, 2022

Korean Air in talks with Asian airlines to share US route

South Korea’s flag carrier Korean Air is reportedly in talks with multiple Southeast Asian airlines to share its Incheon-Los Angeles route in an apparent attempt to get antitrust approval from US regulators in its acquisition of the cash-strapped crosstown rival Asiana Airlines, according to industry sources on Monday. The unprecedented talks come in response to the US requiring Korean Air to submit plans on how to ensure competition by giving a specific name of the air carrier that will o

Sept. 12, 2022

S. Korea is world's fourth-largest EV exporter

South Korea shipped a total of $7 billion worth of electric cars last year, taking the fourth spot in terms of exports by value, following Germany ($28.8 billion), the United States ($10.1 billion) and China ($10 billion), data from a report showed Thursday. Of the world’s top 10 EV exporters, six countries were from Europe. Japan ranked eighth with $4.6 billion EV exports. According to data by Korea International Trade Association, the country's EV exports jumped 112.2 percent in the last

Sept. 8, 2022

Airlines prepare for Chuseok spike in demand

The aviation industry is gearing up to cater an increase in travel demand ahead of Chuseok, the Korean thanksgiving holiday that kicks off Friday. South Korea’s flag carrier Korean Air is operating two more flights from Gimpo to Jeju starting Wednesday until Sept. 13. These flights are operated using larger aircraft to accommodate 11,000 more passengers, which is a 10 percent increase in the airlines number of seats along that route for the Chuseok holiday. Asiana Airlines, the country&rsq

Sept. 7, 2022

Hyundai Motor Group opens Korea’s largest driving experience center

  Hyundai Motor Group said Wednesday that it has opened the country’s largest driving experience center in Taean, South Chungcheong Province, in an aim to lead the country’s automotive culture. The HMG Driving Experience Center is located on 1.26 million square meters of land that was formerly used as Hankook Tire’s automotive proving ground Technoring. It is the largest proving ground in Asia. The center also includes a second-story building to accommodate 15,000 visitor

Sept. 7, 2022

Mercedes-Benz hosts school-zone traffic safety campaign

Bettina Fetzer, vice president of communications and marketing at Mercedes-Benz AG, participated in a campaign on Wednesday promoting school-zone traffic safety in front of an elementary school located in Songpa-gu, southeastern Seoul. The campaign, co-hosted by the Mercedes-Benz Corporate Social Responsibility Committee and the Kids & Future Foundation, was conducted as part of a business agreement signed in April with the Green Mother’s Society, a local advocacy group for children’

Sept. 7, 2022

Hyundai Motor to develop automation tech for world's first smart cargo terminal

Hyundai Motor Group has teamed up with Hanjin KAL, the parent firm of national flag carrier Korean Air, and Incheon International Airport Corp. on Tuesday to jointly develop automation technology for Incheon Airport's smart cargo terminal infrastructure. The technology will be applied to Incheon Airport’s airsides, the aircraft take-off and landing areas such as runways. This business agreement is part of the IIAC’s project, initiated in April, last year, to prepare infrastructure fo

Sept. 6, 2022

Audi Korea launches brand’s first all-electric compact SUVs

Audi Korea officially launched its first all-electric compact sport utility vehicles, the Audi Q4 e-tron and the Audi Q4 Sportback e-tron, in South Korea on Tuesday. “The Q4 e-tron will redefine the boundaries between car segments and act as a gateway into e-mobility. With these models, we have strengthened our EV lineup enough to satisfy the needs of Korean customers,” said Lim Hyun-ki, the executive director of Audi Korea, at the launching ceremony. The Audi Q4 e-tron is the first

Sept. 6, 2022

Korean Air opens new flight route from Incheon to Budapest

South Korea’s flag carrier Korean Air said Tuesday it will open a new international flight route from Incheon to Budapest, Hungary, starting Oct. 3. According to the airliner, flights will depart from Incheon every Monday at 11:25 a.m., and arrive at its destination at 5:05 p.m. local time. Return flights will take off from Budapest at 7:15 p.m. every Tuesday, landing in Korea the next day, 50 minutes past noon. However, the flight schedules will be pushed back by approximately 20 minutes

Sept. 6, 2022

Kumho Tire to commercialize smart tire system

South Korean tiremaker Kumho Tire said Friday it has signed a memorandum of understanding with local auto retailer Van Korea on July 29 to accelerate the commercialization of its smart tire system. As part of the business agreement, the tire company will supply its “Majesty X Solus“ tires for the retailer’s Hyundai Carnival lineup, while also providing tire monitoring and sensing technologies. The tire company has been working with local communication firms to develop a smar

Aug. 28, 2022

Hyundai Motor Group brands score top in satisfaction survey by JD Power

Hyundai Motor Group’s Hyundai, Kia and Genesis received top scores in a major product satisfaction survey, beating out global competitors, according to the US consumer research firm JD Power on Friday.  According to the JD Power’s US Tech Experience Index (TEI), Hyundai Motor Group’s luxury brand Genesis scored 643 points, outpacing Cadillac (584), Mercedes-Benz (539) and Volvo (526), topping the luxury brand list. Genesis has topped the list for two consecutive years.

Aug. 26, 2022