The Korea Herald

Hyundai braces for 3rd straight year of strikes

Aug 17, 2014

Hyundai Motor Co. workers endorsed a possible strike over wage demands for a third straight year, threatening output at South Korea’s largest automaker.Almost 70 percent of Hyundai’s 47,000 labor-guild members voted in favor of authorizing union leader Lee Kyung-hoon to call for a walkout, Hwang Ki Tae, a union spokesman, said in a text message. The strike may begin as soon as Aug. 18, Lee said at a press conference on July 30.While Hyundai is used to stoppages ― workers struck in 22 of the last
Ministries agree to delay vehicle emission taxes

Aug 14, 2014

The South Korean government has decided to delay the implementation of a cooperation fund for low-carbon cars by up to five years in order to reduce the burden on local carmakers, according to government sources on Thursday. The fund had initially been slated to go into effect on Jan. 1, 2015. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Strategy and Finance Choi Kyung-hwan made the decision following a closed door meeting with the Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy and the Minister of Environment
Pope picks Kia Soul as Korea limo

Aug 13, 2014

Pope Francis, known for his sincerity and frugality, has picked Kia Motors’ Soul compact car as his limo throughout his planned five-day visit to South Korea from Thursday.According to the preparatory committee on Wednesday, the head of the Roman Catholic Church initially asked to ride in the “smallest car in Korea” during his first papal trip to Asia. Upon his request, several compacts such as Kia Motors’ Morning and Ray and GM Korea’s Chevrolet Spark were cited as possible candidates for the P
GS Caltex, U.S. carmaker discuss carbon fiber deal

Aug 13, 2014

GS Caltex, South Korea’s second-largest oil refiner, said Wednesday that it was in talks with a U.S.-based electric car maker to supply its precompounded carbon long-fiber-reinforced thermoplastic, or CLFT, which has been gaining rapid popularity as a substitute for steel. “A team of officials will visit the United States at the end of this month to discuss the use of CLFT in the carmaker’s electric models,” said a GS Caltex spokesman, declining to name the U.S. company.GS Caltex said that it se
Hyundai to pay out W56b for mileage exaggerations

Aug 12, 2014

Korean auto giant to pay drivers up to 400,000 won per car
Nissan Rogue production hit hard by strikes in Busan

Aug 11, 2014

The Korean production of the Nissan Rogue at Renault Samsung Motors’ Busan plant is expected to be hit hard by the labor union’s partial strikes that started last week. “Even now Nissan is idling some Japanese plants. If the Korean situation gets worse, there would be no reason for the carmaker to continue to make cars in Korea,” said a Renault Samsung official on condition of anonymity. According to the Korean unit of the French auto giant Renault Group, the carmaker started rolling out the Rog
Hyundai, Ssangyong urged to compensate drivers for fuel economy errors

Aug 10, 2014

Hyundai Motor and Ssangyong Motor are coming under increasing pressure from the Korean government to compensate consumers for reporting inaccurate fuel mileage figures for their sport utility vehicles.The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport last month reportedly sent official documents to the two carmakers, asking them to acknowledge their false gas mileage claims and implement follow-up measures as soon as possible. In June, the ministry’s fuel economy tests showed that Hyundai’s San
Han Sung Motor expands CSR

Aug 10, 2014

Han Sung Motor, Mercedes-Benz’s largest official dealer in South Korea, recently held a three-day art camp for young students as part of its corporate social responsibility program, Dream Gream (Picture) Project.Celebrating its third anniversary this year, the program aims to help students develop their artistic talents, especially those from underprivileged families. In addition to providing financial support for art classes, all 20 students will be given the opportunity to participate in diver
Jaguar Land Rover bolsters service networks

Aug 10, 2014

Jaguar Land Rover, one of the fastest-growing foreign carmakers in Korea, is ramping up efforts to expand its service networks and investments in the market to win the hearts of luxury drivers in South Korea. In the first half of this year, the British premium brand posted a staggering 32 percent growth in Korean sales from a year ago. Its two brands ― Jaguar and Land Rover ― sold 1,045 and 1,904 vehicles, respectively, during the same period. Buoyed by strong growth in recent years, the Korean
Lexus sees $375,000 LFA supercar return after generation

Aug 10, 2014

Long live the Lexus supercar.Toyota Motor Corp.’s Lexus, which ended a two-year production run of the $375,000 LFA in 2012 after manufacturing 500 units, may build a successor to the 552-horsepower car, executive vice president Mark Templin told reporters Friday. The long-term plan has President Akio Toyoda’s backing, he said.“Akio believes that every generation deserves to have a car like an LFA, so we’re building an LFA for the generation we have today,” Templin said in Kyushu, Japan, before a
China auto sales cool further in July

Aug 10, 2014

China’s auto sales decelerated further in July while global automakers continued to mop up the market share of local brands, industry figures showed Friday. Sales rose 9.7 percent to 1.3 million vehicles, according to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers. That was down from June’s 11.5 percent growth and May’s 13.9 percent. Total vehicle sales in the world’s biggest auto market rose 6.7 percent over a year earlier to 1.6 million vehicles.Global automakers see China as crucial to the
Hyundai Motor fined $17m in U.S. for delaying recall

Aug 8, 2014

Hyundai Motor was fined $17.35 million in the United States for delaying the recall for its Genesis models in the market.According to the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the Korean carmaker delayed the recall on 43,500 Genesis sedans from the model years 2009-2012 for a brake defect that can corrode the braking system. Hyundai Motor knew about the potential problem in 2012, but issued a recall in October 2013 after the government opened an investigation into the matter, the
Hyundai chairman emphasizes quality control at U.S. plants

Aug 7, 2014

Hyundai Motor Group chairman Chung Mong-koo stressed quality control at the carmaker’s U.S. production plants, urging efforts to make Hyundai and Kia the most beloved auto brands in the market within the next 10 years. On his first business trip to the United States this year, the chairman this week visited the local production plants of Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia Motors, located in Alabama and Georgia, respectively.“Our success story in the U.S. market started at this Alabama plant whe
Hyundai Motor chairman urges readiness for volatile currency

Aug 6, 2014

Korean auto giant pledges more profit from large-sedan sales in U.S.
Hyundai Motor chairman heads to U.S.

Aug 5, 2014

Hyundai Motor Group chairman Chung Mong-koo on Tuesday left for the United States, where the Korean auto giant recalled more than 1.3 million vehicles last week. According to the Seoul head office, Chung was scheduled to visit the carmaker’s U.S. headquarters in California to be briefed on sales and marketing situations there. He was also planned to look around the production plants of Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia Motors, located in Alabama and Georgia, respectively, officials said.The ch