All Hyundai and Kia cars are no longer eligible for tax credits for electric vehicles in the US amid increased protectionist sentiment there. As the result of the Inflation Reduction Act that took effect in August last year, the US Treasury Department on Monday announced a total of 16 EV models that will qualify for a tax credit of up to $7,500. All of the cars are produced by US carmakers, including Tesla, GM, Ford and Stellantis. The list includes: Tesla’s Model 3 Performance, Model

Mobility April 18, 2023

By Cho Ju-hyeon Small and midsized enterprises in Korea have shown remarkable progress in innovation in the global markets, pushing the need for systematic support from the government. Of the 20 Innovation Awards winners at the 2023 Consumer Electronics Show held in January, nine were Korean companies. Among them, five were ventures and startups. This result was driven by continuous efforts from small companies, as well as the government’s stable funding in research and development. Bu

Industry April 18, 2023

With heightened interest in South Korea’s vibrant entertainment and culture, Korea Airports Corp. CEO Yoon Hyeong-jung vowed to create growth momentum for local airports as regional hubs for international tourism. “During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Korean culture boom has increased the appetite for traveling to the country to the highest level -- not just to Seoul but also to other regions, which had faced challenges in the tourism industry compared to metropolitan areas,” sa

Mobility April 18, 2023

Incheon International Airport said Monday it has signed a deal to produce freighters converted from passenger aircraft for the state-run Israel Aerospace Industries, after winning in a competition over China, India and Singapore. By 2079, the airport aims to ramp up its export volume by $12 billion, starting with modifying retired Boeing B777 airplanes as cargo transportation aircraft in 2025. It plans to expand its production capacity to convert eight large passenger planes simultaneously --

Politics April 17, 2023

South Korea’s burgeoning two-wheeler market could see further growth with more policy support for motorcyclists here, the head of Region Asia, China, Pacific and Africa at BMW Motorrad urged. “South Korean motorcycle market is witnessing continuous growth every year with an increasing number of motorheads,” said Markus Mueller-Zambre during a recent interview with The Korea Herald. “Although there have been some movements to allow riding bikes on motorways, it is (one of

Mobility April 14, 2023

Amid the escalating US-China rivalry in recent years, South Korea’s conglomerates have struggled to strike a balance in their Chinese business. Even though no immediate breakthrough is seen in geopolitical tensions, Samsung Electronics and Hyundai Motor Group -- the nation’s top makers of smartphones and cars -- are seeking a turnaround in their reduced market shares in China, an all-important market that is too big to ditch. Samsung In its earnings guidance last week, Samsung pred

Industry April 12, 2023

Hyundai Motor Group said Tuesday it will shell out 24 trillion won ($18.1 billion) to boost its electric vehicle production at home by 2030, aiming to become one of the top three carmakers globally in terms of EV sales. As part of the carmaker’s ambitious EV push, Kia broke ground to build the nation’s first EV-only production plant later in the day. “Kia’s EV plant is the first domestic production facility Hyundai will be building in 29 years. The government as a tea

Mobility April 11, 2023

Korean Air said Monday it is going all out to secure regulatory approvals from the remaining competition authorities -- the EU, US and Japan -- for acquiring its cash-strapped rival Asiana Airline. Korean Air CEO Walter Cho and other top executives have led the negotiation process with the antitrust regulators, the national flag carrier said in a statement. They also met with foreign airline authorities to offer new flying slots in South Korea, but the press release did not give more details.

Mobility April 10, 2023

SK Energy, a leading oil company under SK Innovation, said Sunday it has opened the country's first hydrogen charging station for large cargo trucks in Ulsan, an industrial city on the southern coast. With the charging capacity of 80 kilograms per hour, the hydrogen fueling station can charge 16 passenger cars per hour or 40 large trucks a day. Of the 7 billion won ($5.3 million) joint investment with the Korean government and Ulsan city, SK Energy shelled out 1.3 billion won to build a 1

Mobility April 9, 2023

The average unit price for Korean car exports hit an all-time high of $21,276 last year, thanks to the popularity of ecofriendly cars and recreational vehicles, data from the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association showed Sunday. The price is a 40.5 percent jump from $15,147 in 2017. Last month, the average unit price reached $22,515. In 2022, the auto export volume surged on-year by 12.7 percent to 2.3 million units, while the total export price jumped 18 percent to $48.9 billion. The figu

Mobility April 9, 2023

In an age of advanced artificial intelligence, experts suggested ways to effectively use the high-level technology at the Global Business Forum hosted by The Korea Herald on Wednesday. “With the ChatGPT boom, we need to think about how to wisely use AI and seek happiness in our lives,” said Chang Dong-seon, CEO of Curious Brain Lab, during the during the seventh session of the forum held at the Ambassador Seoul hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. For instance, people seem to consider techno

Technology April 6, 2023

Amid prolonged lockdowns and closed borders, the COVID-19 pandemic had been particularly brutal on the aviation sector. But Korean Air, the nation’s flag carrier, was a rare case that turned the crisis into a blessing under the leadership of CEO Walter Cho. In November 2020 when the coronavirus pandemic was rampant around the world, Korean Air announced a bid of 1.8 trillion won ($1.37 billion) to acquire its crosstown rival Asiana Airlines, paving the way for it to become the largest ai

Mobility April 5, 2023

KG Mobility, formerly SsangYong Motor, said Tuesday it will be reborn as a futuristic mobility company focusing on electric vehicles, autonomous driving and software-defined vehicles. “Unlike other global automakers, we don’t consider exporting cars as our one and only goal,” said KG Mobility Chairman Gwak Jae-sun during a press conference at Kintex, Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province. “Instead, we will strive to produce cars made from our own (automotive) technology.” With

Mobility April 4, 2023

Incheon Airport said Monday that it is expecting to turn a profit in the first quarter this year for the first time in nearly three years, largely driven by increased management efficiency and the gradual recovery of international travel. The exact earnings will be made available after mid-April, the airport said, adding that they are highly likely to see a profit, considering the January and February earnings as well as the estimated passenger revenue in March. Following the outbreak of the

Mobility April 3, 2023

Porsche Korea CEO Holger Gerrmann vowed to gain further traction with sporty electric vehicles from South Korea, the carmaker’s sixth-biggest market, whose appetite for luxury cars is entering the fast lane. “We successfully wrapped up 2022 with close to 9,000 sales volume. We were very humbled by the positive reception from the Korean customers,” said the CEO during an interview with The Korea Herald on Thursday on the sidelines of the Seoul Mobility Show that kicked off earli

Mobility April 3, 2023