Sitting 480 meters above sea level, Namhansanseong is a mountain fortress 25 kilometers southeast of Seoul. The fortress stretches 12 kilometers, and is said to have been built during the Unified Silla Kingdom in the seventh century. Namhansanseong’s significance as a fortress emerged in 1624 when King Injo designated the city to serve as an emergency capital and administrative center in the Joseon era in times of war. Namhansanseong is protected dually under the Cultural Heritag

Culture Feb. 21, 2020

Hyundai Motor Group said Thursday that it has developed a self-controlling gearshift that measures traffic ahead and predicts optimized gearing, which it said is the first of its kind in the world. While existing smart drive modes work by learning the pattern of the drivers, the new information and communication technology-connected transmission system recognizes road situations and automatically changes gears for speed, the automaker said. The new technology will be adopted in upcoming models

Mobility Feb. 20, 2020

Hanjin KAL, the holding firm of Hanjin Group which owns the country’s largest air carrier Korean Air, said Thursday that it has partnered with US startup accelerator Plug and Play for business diversification. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, Plug and Play has previously clinched development partnerships with global information and communications technology firms including Google, PayPal, Dropbox and Logitech. It has also worked with Coca-Cola, Mercedes-Benz, Singapore Airlines and Americ

Mobility Feb. 20, 2020

The Seoul Central District Court on Wednesday found Socar CEO Lee Jae-woong and VCNC CEO Park Jae-wook not guilty of violating transportation laws with their ride service that is strongly opposed by the taxi industry. Socar is the parent of VCNC, which runs Tada, an 11-seat van-hailing mobile app service. The court said in a ruling that Tada is seen as an “innovative mobility business” that cannot be categorized based on the existing transportation business frame.  &ldqu

Mobility Feb. 19, 2020

Korean full-service carrier Asiana Airlines said Tuesday that all executives, including the CEO, have offered to resign to improve the company’s financial health, which has been severely hurt by the latest outbreak of the coronavirus that has cut into aviation services.  In a letter sent to Asiana employees, the air carrier’s CEO Han Chang-soo said that the company has activated an emergency business management due to the crisis following the epidemic outbreak.  Han said

Mobility Feb. 18, 2020

Kim Chi-hoon, a former Korean Air executive director who was proposed as one of the inside directors for Hanjin Group, said Tuesday he was voluntarily resigning from the candidacy. His withdrawal deals a blow to a coalition formed by Hanjin Group heiress Cho Hyun-ah to counter her brother, Chairman Cho Won-tae, as Kim had been recommended by them. Kim reportedly said that he was “against what the coalition intends to do,” according to Hanjin KAL, the holding company of Hanjin Group

Mobility Feb. 18, 2020

SsangYong Motor’s flagship sports utility vehicle Rexton Sports has sold more than 40,000 units annually for the second year in a row, the carmaker announced Monday.  This is the first time Ssangyong has sold over 40,000 units of an SUV brand two years in a row, the company said.  SsangYong Motor said 41,717 Rexton Sports vehicles were sold in 2018, accounting for 99.2 percent of the total number of pickup trucks sold in Korea that year. In 2019, a total of 41,328 Rexton Sport

Mobility Feb. 17, 2020

  Mercedes-Benz has consistently commanded the top position in the South Korean imported vehicles market. Last year alone, it sold 78,133 units, led by its flagship sedan series E-Class. Compared to sedans, the German luxury automaker’s sport utility vehicles had taken a back seat. To expand its clout in the promising SUV sector, the automaker began bolstering its SUV lineup early this year, bringing back a facelifted version of the GLC compact SUV after four years. The GLC is on

Mobility Feb. 16, 2020

Korean Air’s unionized workers on Friday warned against a coalition comprising a Korean Air heiress and activist fund Korea Corporate Governance Improvement.  In an apparent scheme to oust incumbent Chairman Cho Won-tae, former Korean Air Vice President Cho Hyun-ah and Hanjin Group’s largest and third-largest shareholders -- KCGI and Bando Construction -- said Thursday they are proposing eight figures, including former SK Group Vice Chairman Kim Shin-bae, as candidates for boar

Mobility Feb. 14, 2020

The Netherlands’ flag carrier KLM Royal Dutch Airlines apologized Friday for banning South Koreans from using a restroom on a plane amid coronavirus concerns.  According to a Korean passenger onboard the KLM 855 flight bound for Incheon from Amsterdam on Monday, a hand-written note that read “cabin crew exclusive restroom” in Korean was posted on the door of a restroom. Koreans made up 135 out of 279 passengers on the plane.  When a passenger asked why the note wa

Mobility Feb. 14, 2020

South Korean air carriers have been facing a tough time following the nationwide boycott of trips to Japan last year and the oil price hike, only to face a triple whammy with the novel coronavirus outbreak, forcing them to suspend almost 90 percent of their lucrative China routes.  According to industry sources, air carriers have been making all-out efforts to secure capital amid the dwindling number of passengers and continued business uncertainties led by external factors.  The co

Mobility Feb. 13, 2020

Mercedes-Benz Korea on Wednesday began sales of the first sedan in its A-Class lineup -- unveiled during the Paris Motor Show in 2018 -- and also launched its second-generation premium coupe sedan, the new CLA 250 4matic.  Until now, the automaker sold only hatchback A-Class models, and said it has introduced the first sedan model to the lineup to expand its premium sedan range, which comprises C-Class, E-Class, CLS and S-Class.  The new A-Class lineup includes two models -- A 220 s

Mobility Feb. 12, 2020

  Jeju Air, the country’s largest low-cost carrier by sales, said it recorded 1.38 trillion won ($1.1 billion) in sales last year, along with 32.9 billion won in operating loss and 34.1 billion won of net loss.  The air carrier said its 2019 sales improved by 9.9 percent, but the operating profit and yearly net profit both turned into the red. In the fourth quarter last year, its sales came to 309.4 billion won, also recording an operating loss at 45.1 billion won and net loss

Mobility Feb. 11, 2020

Hyundai Motor Group said Tuesday it has joined hands with the US Department of Energy to expand the use of hydrogen fuel cell technology globally and innovate further.  The company said it has signed a memorandum of understanding with the department in Washington, DC. Hyundai Motor Group’s Executive Vice Chairman Chung Euisun met with US Secretary of Energy Mark W. Menezes to exchange their vision and direction for the future hydrogen society, the company added.  “We ex

Mobility Feb. 11, 2020

Manufacturing plants of the country’s two largest automakers, Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors, which had been suspended due to disruption of parts supplies will resume operation from Tuesday, industry sources said Monday. The resumption follows delivery of Chinese-made wiring harnesses, a crucial auto part laid on the floor of the vehicles during initial assembly. A portion was set to arrive here Monday via flights and vessels from Qingdao and Weihai, according to a Hyundai Motor official.&n

Mobility Feb. 10, 2020