Hyundai resumes operations of local plants after quarantine steps

Hyundai Motor Co. said Friday it has resumed operations at its four domestic plants following a half-day suspension due to the disruption of parts supply caused by the COVID-19 pandemic at a key parts supplier.

The carmaker restarted vehicle production at four out of its five plants in Ulsan, 414 kilometers southeast of Seoul, as health authorities completed quarantine measures at a plant of Hyundai Mobis Co., a company spokesman said.

Hyundai Motor suspended the four Ulsan plants on Thursday afternoon due to lack of auto components from Hyundai Mobis. Hyundai Motor and Hyundai Mobis are affiliates of Hyundai Motor Group.

Last month, Hyundai halted its Indian plant for five days starting May 25, as two workers in the Tamil Nadu plant were infected with COVID-19 and several workers staged a sit-in at the plant on May 24 amid rising virus fears among workers.

Hyundai's other overseas plants are in operation despite the ongoing global chip shortage.

On the domestic front, Hyundai has temporarily halted some of its domestic plants in recent weeks due to semiconductor shortages.

Hyundai has seven domestic plants -- five in Ulsan, one in Asan and one in Jeonju -- and 10 overseas plants -- four in China and one each in the United States, the Czech Republic, Turkey, Russia, India and Brazil. Their combined capacity reaches 5.5 million vehicles.

From January to May, Hyundai's sales jumped 29 percent to 1,672,660 vehicles from 1,297,513 units in the year-ago period.

Hyundai aims to sell 4.16 million vehicles this year, which is 11 percent higher than the 3.74 million units it sold last year. (Yonhap)