Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's No. 1 carmaker, said Wednesday that it will kick off a massive grassland development project in China as part of its effort to preserve the environment and reduce the frequency of sand storms that periodically blow into South Korea.

   The company, which sold 440,150 vehicles in China in the first quarter of this year, said the "Hyundai Green Zone" calls for the creation of pastures in an area covering 40 million square meters.

The project also envisages hiring people in the region to help the local economy.

   The carmaker said it has chosen an area in Inner Mongolia located some 300 kilometers north of Beijing. It said the project will continue until 2018.

   Hyundai said that the project is part of its greater corporate social responsibility work in the country that has been under way for some time.

   From 2008 through last year, Hyundai Motor carried out another grassland development project on 50 million square meters of land to turn desert into pasture land.

   Hyundai Motor has been named the most sociably responsible company in China every year since 2011. (Yonhap)