Volvo is putting the pedal to the metal as it inches closer and closer to overtaking Audi’s third place in South Korea’s auto import market that has long been led by the three German brands: Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi. According to the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association’s monthly report released Friday, the Swedish automaker sold 1,263 units in the country in October. Audi which sold 1,141 vehicles in the same period. With that, Volvo Cars Korea became the

Mobility Nov. 3, 2023

Hyundai Motor Group said Thursday that it has begun a monthlong campaign in Paris to support Busan's bid to host the World Expo 2030 by playing a promotional video on 270 digital screens across famous locations and shopping malls in the French capital. Members of the Bureau International des Expositions will vote to decide the host city of the global mega event on Nov. 28. in Paris. Saudi Arabia's Riyadh and Italy's Rome are vying to host the Expo. (Hyundai Motor Group)

Mobility Nov. 2, 2023

LG Uplus and Hyundai Motor Group have teamed up to develop an ecosystem of communication infrastructure for robot-friendly buildings to secure core technologies required for automation, the companies said Monday. According to the announcement, the mobile carrier and automaker agreed to collaborate in crafting total solutions for robotics, such as providing communication services tailored for robots and developing standard and certification systems that can assess robot-friendly buildings’

Technology Oct. 30, 2023

Mercedes-Benz Korea on Monday unveiled the Mercedes-Maybach S 680 4MATIC Haute Voiture Edition, a limited special edition model inspired by high-end fashion, for the first time in the country. Only 150 units of the special edition of the German automaker's most prestigious vehicle have been produced worldwide. Of them, 20 have been allocated to Korea, the world's second-largest market for the Maybach. The luxury vehicle's price begins at 590 million won ($437,000). (Mercedes-Benz

Mobility Oct. 30, 2023

YOKOHAMA, JAPAN -- South Korea’s leading automaker Hyundai Motor aims to expand its presence in Japan with patience as the market is known for its tough-to-enter nature due to the overwhelming dominance of the country’s homegrown brands such as Honda, Nissan and Toyota. “Since we started taking orders in May last year and began to deliver cars in August, we have sold over 700 vehicles as of August this year,” said Cho Won-sang, CEO of Hyundai Mobility Japan, in an intervi

Mobility Oct. 29, 2023

Korea Aerospace Industries has joined hands with the Saudi Space Agency to collaborate on strengthening their partnership in the space sector as part of efforts to lead the expanding space industry in the Middle East. According to KAI, the chiefs of KAI and SSA on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding in Riyadh. The partnership agreement took place during President Yoon Suk Yeol’s state visit to Saudi Arabia, which began Saturday. KAI officials traveled to the Middle Eastern count

Industry Oct. 25, 2023

Hyundai Motor Group is venturing into the Middle East as it explores new business opportunities with cutting-edge technologies in the region, looking to recreate the pioneering legacy of Chung Ju-yung, Hyundai Group’s late founder. During President Yoon Suk Yeol's state visit to the Middle East, the South Korean conglomerate announced a series of agreements and contracts to set up a new manufacturing plant for electric vehicles and cooperate in the eco-friendly energy sector with effo

Mobility Oct. 24, 2023

Hyundai Motor and its affiliate firm Kia were ranked in ninth place on a new Greenpeace study on 15 automakers' decarbonization efforts, down four spots from the environmental organization's assessment a year ago. According to Greenpeace East Asia’s analysis on Thursday, the South Korean carmakers received 5.58 points for the proportion of zero-emission vehicle sales and a mere 3 points for decarbonizing efforts in their supply chains. Noting that the sales of sports utility vehi

Mobility Oct. 19, 2023

Hyundai Motor Company and its sister firm Kia announced Wednesday that they have signed a strategic partnership with Infineon Technologies AG, a global top-tier automotive semiconductor developer, to upgrade electric vehicle performance and secure power semiconductor supply chains. Under the partnership, the South Korean automakers will cooperate with the chipmaker to develop technologies with a goal to enhance the power performance of EVs and hybrid vehicles slated to be released in the future.

Mobility Oct. 18, 2023

South Korea’s leading shipbuilders have been scoring massive order after order all this year, welcoming the revival of the shipbuilding industry. Despite the upbeat numbers on paper, they are facing the daunting task of securing a skilled workforce capable of carrying out difficult tasks in the long term. Clarksons Research, a global shipping and shipbuilding analysis firm based in the United Kingdom, measured the Newbuilding Price Index (NPI) at 173 points as of August. The NPI indicates

Industry Oct. 17, 2023

The Seoul International Aerospace and Defense Exhibition, known as Seoul ADEX, kicks off Tuesday with the public debut of Korea's indigenously developed KF-21 Boramae fighter jet, as the country looks to score record-breaking exports for the defense industry this year. The biannual event, which takes place at at the Seoul Airport in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, is expected to draw 550 participating companies -- the largest number since it was first held in 1996 -- from 34 countries, according to

Industry Oct. 15, 2023

Kia on Thursday unveiled three new small- to medium-sized electric vehicles, vowing to lead the popularization of EVs across the world by offering more affordable options for customers. “Kia is keenly focused on providing solutions to the concerns that continue to cause hesitation when it comes to making an EV purchase. We will meet customer expectations by offering a full line-up of EVs at various price points and improve charging infrastructure availability,” said Kia CEO Song Ho-s

Mobility Oct. 12, 2023

As humanity goes deeper into space and explores more of the unknown, it is crucial to take responsibility to carry out space missions with peace and solidarity, say Sasha Sagan, daughter of renowned astronomer Carl Sagan, and Yi Soyeon, South Korea's one and only astronaut. “Our track record as a species is questionable at best and especially when we arrive in new places,” said Sagan. “I think that our only hope is to really take the lessons of where we have fallen short i

Industry Oct. 11, 2023

BMW Korea said Thursday it will install 1,000 new chargers for electric vehicles in South Korea next year, almost doubling the number of its EV chargers in the country. Under its “Charging Next” project, BMW Korea plans to make the new chargers compatible with all EVs, not just BMW EVs. The German automaker currently operates 920 charging points nationwide and plans to complete the installation of more to reach a total of 1,100 by the end of the year. With the additional 1,000 charge

Mobility Oct. 6, 2023

LG Energy Solution and Toyota announced Thursday that they have signed a 10-year supply contract for lithium-ion battery modules to be used in Toyota’s battery electric vehicles assembled in the United States, marking the first collaboration between the Korean battery maker and the Japanese auto giant in the burgeoning EV market. LG Energy Solution said it will invest 4 trillion won ($3 billion) in its Michigan plant to set up new production lines for battery cells and modules exclusively

Mobility Oct. 5, 2023