Volvo Cars Korea donates W300m to support disabled children

Volvo Cars Korea said Monday it delivered a donation of 300 million won ($271,000) to a nonprofit organization to support children with disabilities. Since 2017, Volvo Cars Korea has been working with Purme Foundation to support children with disabilities undergoing rehabilitation, the company said. The funds delivered will be used to provide assistive devices to 100 children and teenagers under 18, and for operation of a children’s rehabilitation hospital, the automaker said. &ldquo

Nov. 30, 2020

SsangYong Motor approved to test Level 3 autonomous vehicle

SsangYong Motor said Monday it has gained government approval to test-run Level 3 self-driving technology for its Korando model, and will start test-driving the vehicle on regular roads next month. The autonomous vehicle of the company’s compact crossover sport utility vehicle Korando is the second model for the automaker to receive such approval, following the Tivoli Air, the company said. South Korea‘s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has introduced a permission s

Nov. 30, 2020

Jin Air to resume flights to Fukuoka next month

Jin Air Co., the budget carrier unit of Korean Air Lines Co., said Monday it will resume flights to Fukuoka next month on eased entry restrictions in Japan. Jin Air will provide one flight a week on the Incheon-Fukuoka route from Tuesday mainly to meet business travel demand, the company said in a statement. The Fukuoka route was suspended nine months ago as more than 180 countries and territories strengthened entry restrictions to stem the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. Jin Air currently

Nov. 30, 2020

Hyundai Motor, Naver partner on mobility

South Korea’s leading automaker and search engine platform have agreed to work together on tech services and seek partnerships with small firms. Hyundai Motor Group said Sunday that it agreed to work with Naver to cooperate in three business areas -- media and platform content, new mobility services and new business models -- and build relationships with small and midsized enterprises. Chi Young-cho, Hyundai Motor Group’s executive vice president for strategy and technology, and

Nov. 29, 2020

Korean Air's Asiana takeover requires regulatory approval from 4 countries

South Korea's biggest carrier Korean Air Lines Co.'s planned acquisition of the debt-laden Asiana Airlines Inc. requires approval from antitrust authorities in at least four other countries, industry sources said Sunday. According to the aviation industry sources and the Fair Trade Commission (FTC), the planned merger requires review from authorities in the United States, European Union (EU), China and Japan. A failure would jeopardize the deal valued at 1.8 trillion won ($1.6 billion) that w

Nov. 29, 2020

Auto recalls top 2m this year: data

The number of automobiles subject to recalls topped 2 million in the first 10 months of the year, marking the fourth straight year of auto recalls exceeding the threshold, industry data showed on Sunday. According to the data, a total of 2.04 million units was subject to recalls in the January-October period, up 56.2 percent from a year earlier. Last year, a total of 2.16 million units was subject to recalls. Last week, Hyundai Motor Co., Mercedes-Benz Korea and four other companies were orde

Nov. 29, 2020

Korea Air wins W290b F-16 maintenance deal

Korean Air Lines Co., South Korea's biggest carrier, said Thursday it has received a 290 billion won ($260 million) F-16 maintenance order in the United States.  In the 10-year deal signed with the US Department of Defense, Korean Air will be in charge of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) work for the life extension of the F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft deployed to the US air forces in South Korea and Japan, the company said in a statement. The national flag carrier has been providi

Nov. 26, 2020

Hyundai, Kia's EV exports set to exceed 100,000 units this year

Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp. said Thursday they are set to export over 100,000 electric vehicles this year on growing demand for environment-friendly cars. Hyundai and Kia shipped a combined 98,505 EVs from January to October, jumping 71 percent from 57,517 units during the same period of last year, according to the companies. "Stricter emission rules in Europe drove up demand for all-electric and less-emitting models," a Hyundai spokesman said. Hyundai's

Nov. 26, 2020

IATA exec says more consolidation in aviation possible

The International Air Transport Association’s regional vice president said on Wednesday that the aviation industry could see more consolidation between airlines from the same country in the wake of Korean Air and Asiana Airlines acquisition deal. “We’ve had a number of airlines who’ve tried to set up regional operations but they’ve tended to be challenged by the ownership and control rules that apply in different countries with respect to air operator certificates,

Nov. 25, 2020

GM Korea, labor union reach tentative agreement on wages

General Motors Korea and its labor union reached a tentative agreement on wages Wednesday, four months after their talks began in July. According to GM Korea, the two sides came up with a draft agreement during negotiations that started Tuesday. In the tentative agreement, GM Korea promised to offer an incentive of 4 million won ($3,600) to its workers as a message of encouragement amid the COVID-19 pandemic. As the labor union asked for the management to maintain operations at the two aut

Nov. 25, 2020

[Behind the Wheel] SsangYong’s Rexton returns younger, stronger

YEONGJONGDO, Incheon -- SsangYong Motor’s new Rexton has returned, with a bolder look and enhanced driving assistance systems. Introducing the new Rexton after launching the previous Rexton G4 model in 2017, the automaker said it sought to create a young and trendy vibe for the upper-mid-sized sports utility vehicle, targeting families that enjoy leisure activities. The company expects the upgrade to raise the popularity of Rexton, which has been preferred by those seeking abundant inte

Nov. 25, 2020

6 companies to recall over 160,000 vehicles

Hyundai Motor Co., Mercedes-Benz Korea and four other companies will voluntarily recall over 160,000 vehicles to fix faulty components, the transport ministry said Wednesday. 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 other companies are Kia Motors Corp., Renault Samsung Motors Corp., GM Korea Co. and Daijeon Machinery Co., the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in a st

Nov. 25, 2020

S. Korea to spend W1.44b to foster experts of eco-cars

South Korea said Wednesday it plans to allocate 1.44 billion won ($1.29 million) through 2025 to foster experts of eco-friendly cars in sync with the country's green growth policy, which centers on breaking away from fossil fuels and utilizing more sustainable resources. Under the project, South Korea will spend the budget to educate around 480 experts of eco-friendly cars annually over the next five years, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. "The project is aimed at

Nov. 25, 2020

Porsche Korea opens first Porsche Dream Circle student education project

Porsche Korea said Tuesday it opened the first Porsche Dream Circle, a student education program promoting the value of sustainability in the environment, at an elementary school in Gyeonggi Province. According to the automaker, the new project is part of its corporate social responsibility campaign, Porsche Do Dream, which marks its fourth year in 2020. Porsche Dream Circle, which has opened at the Pangyo Elementary School in Seongnam, is to provide a learning space for students on the imp

Nov. 24, 2020

Seoul Metro to provide consulting services to Sydney Metro

Seoul Metro, the operator of the city's vast subway system, has signed a deal with an Australian engineering firm to provide consulting services to Sydney Metro, the Korean company said Tuesday. Under the deal signed in mid-November, Seoul Metro and Ricardo will jointly assist Sydney Metro in the design, construction, operation and maintenance of two subway line extensions. The West line and the Western Sydney Airport link are scheduled for completion and opening in 2030. The three-year consu

Nov. 24, 2020

Air Busan to resume flights to China's Ningbo

Air Busan Co. said Tuesday it will resume flights to the Chinese city of Ningbo next month to meet travel demand from businessmen. The budget carrier unit of Asiana Airlines Inc. will begin offering one flight per week on Dec. 6 on the Incheon-Ningbo route after suspending the route for 10 months due to the coronavirus impact on the airline industry, the company said in a statement. Instead, the carrier plans to suspend the Incheon-Shenzhen route beginning Nov. 27, it said,  In July, t

Nov. 24, 2020

Samsung Heavy wins record-largest order from Europe

Samsung Heavy Industries has won orders worth $2.5 billion from European shipowners, according to the firm’s regulatory filings Monday. It is the shipbuilder’s largest single order achieved since its establishment in 1974. The shipbuilder said it signed the contract with European shipowners to supply blocks and equipment for ships. The contract period runs until December 2025. The order volume is equivalent to 38.2 percent of last year’s total sales. The value of the order is

Nov. 23, 2020

Mercedes-Benz Korea goes digital for better customer satisfaction

Mercedes-Benz Korea said it is strengthening its digital-based customer experience for preemptive and professional services. The automaker said it is steadily investing in expanding digital-based services that customers can use without having to visit showrooms and service centers in person. One of the digital services is “Sales Touch,” an integrated digital sales platform that carries out all the necessary procedures for vehicle contracts through mobile or tablet devices without

Nov. 23, 2020

Hyundai, Kia rank fourth in global EV market

Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors overtook German brand BMW to rank fourth in the global electric vehicle market this year, data showed Monday. Local research company SNE Research said Hyundai and Kia sold a combined 130,000 EVs in the global market between January and September this year. The figure is up 40.7 percent from the same period last year. The strong performance was driven by a surge in sales of the Kia Niro, Hyundai Kona, Kia XCeed Plug-in Hybrid and Hyundai Porter 2 Electric. The co

Nov. 23, 2020

Hankook Tire to supply tires for GM's new pickup trucks

South Korea’s leading tire manufacturer Hankook Tire & Technology Co. will supply tires for General Motors‘ new pickup trucks, the company said on Monday. The Dynapro MT2, Hankook Tire’s most extreme off-road all-season brand, will be supplied for the 2021 Chevrolet Silverado Heavy Duty and GMC Sierra HD, two models that share a platform. Having won the Red Dot Design Award, the tire boasts additional off-road grip due to angled V-shape shoulder scallops, according to the

Nov. 23, 2020