S. Korean tapped to head global car manufacturers organization

The head of South Korea's Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association (KAMA) was picked Thursday as the new chairman of an international body tasked with sharing of information among leading carmakers around the world.

   Kim Yong-geun was named to head the Paris-based International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers, better known by its French acronym OICA, at the group's latest roundtable general assembly underway in Seoul.

   He is the first South Korean national to take the post and will lead the organization for two years.

   Besides coordinating exchange of information and handling outstanding issues confronting the auto industry as a whole, including safety and environmental rules, the OICA organizes a number of international auto shows.

   KAMA said Kim's chairmanship can exert a positive impact on the South Korean auto industry.

   The three-day Seoul gathering that runs through Friday is focused on matters such as electric cars, hybrids and other eco-friendly vehicles.

   Set up in 1919, OICA is made up of 38 automotive associations from such countries as the United States, Japan, Germany, France and Italy. South Korea joined the group in 1991 and is currently a member of the organization's standing committee. (Yonhap)