Most Popular
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Court refuses injunction on medical school expansion
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Why Korean crime stories typically feature nameless, faceless perpetrators
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Debate on 'no-seniors zones' heats up
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S. Korea, Cambodia forge strategic partnership
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Rare mid-May heavy snow warning issued over mountainous areas of Gangwon
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Is NewJeans headed for a long 'break'?
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[KH Explains] Hyundai-backed Motional’s struggles deepen as Tesla eyes August robotaxi debut
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Police raid popera singer Kim Ho-joong's house over hit-and-run suspicions
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New Seoul High Prosecutors’ Office chief vows full-fledged probe into first lady
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Trump may like to 'solve' N. Korean nuclear problem if reelected: ex-official
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Hyundai's Genesis named safest car of the year
The Genesis, a high-end passenger car by South Korea's Hyundai Motor Co., has been named the safest car of the year in a vehicle safety test that evaluated 12 other cars including the Audi A6 and the Ford Explorer, the transportation ministry said Wednesday. According to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Genesis scored 96.6 points out of a possible 100 in four crash tests that covered frontal and side-impact tests. The Sorento sport utility vehicle (SUV) from Kia Motors
Dec. 17, 2014
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Hyundai unveils new Sonata hybrid as it takes aim at green car market
Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea's largest carmaker, on Tuesday took the wraps off of its new Sonata hybrid midsize sedan as the company moves to expand its footprint in the rapidly growing green vehicle market. The new vehicle that took 27 months and 180 billion won (US$164.2 million) to develop incorporates the refined Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 design found on all new Hyundai models, and has been tested to achieve "best in class" combined fuel economy of 18.2 kilometers on a liter of fuel when equ
Dec. 16, 2014
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Hyundai, Kia seek higher 2015 sales with new cars
Hyundai Motor Co. and its corporate cousin Kia Motors Corp. said Monday they aim to increase sales and market presence in 2015 by adapting to global changes in consumer demand and by launching new cars that can better appeal to people around the world. In a meeting of top executives representing Hyundai and Kia operations abroad, the two companies predicted overall global car sales to rise by 3.9 percent on-year to 87.1 million units, up from 80.99 million forecast for 2014. The two firms, th
Dec. 15, 2014
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Renault Samsung upbeat on hot-selling QM3
Upbeat on its hot-selling QM3 crossover, Renault Samsung Motors has pledged to continue the recent sales momentum next year.The QM3, built in Renault’s Spain plant, made its debut in December last year. The first batch of 1,000 vehicles was sold out in seven minutes after the preorder started ― an unprecedented record in the Korean car market. The explosive customer reaction continued all through the year. By the end of this month, a total of 18,000 QM3 cars are expected to be sold, more than do
Dec. 14, 2014
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Ferrari says green tech on FXX K Hybrid improves performance
Last week in Abu Dhabi, Ferrari unveiled its newest hybrid supercar, the FXX K.Yes, the name looks like an expletive.That’s a fitting reaction considering its $3.1 million price tag and 1050 cv, V12 engine.Executives at Ferrari declined to comment on the FXX K for this article, and I don’t blame them. When you make a monster machine for the world’s top 40 Ferrari collectors, you don’t owe anyone anything. Least of all an explanation.But I must admit that when I saw the photos and the numbers for
Dec. 14, 2014
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Porsche 918 Spyder sold out, with Americans as top buyers
Porsche sold the last of the limited-edition 918 Spyder supercar, the German company’s most expensive model, and Americans snapped up more than anyone else.U.S. customers bought 297 of the car, with Germany and China accounting for about 100 vehicles each, the Stuttgart-based unit of Volkswagen AG said Wednesday in a statement.Production of the $845,000 plug-in hybrid racer was limited to 918 vehicles to underscore the exclusivity of the car and the brand. Deliveries started in March, and Porsch
Dec. 14, 2014
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Hyundai fuel cell car on U.S. top 10 engine list
Hyundai Motor’s fuel cell engine, which debuted in February on the 2015 Tucson, was named one of the 10 best engines sold in the North American market this year, officials said Thursday. It is the first time that the annual Ward’s 10 Best Engines have included a hydrogen-powered fuel cell engine. The Hyundai Tucson Fuel Cell, the world’s first mass-produced fuel cell-powered vehicle, has been sold in Southern California since June 10. Outside the U.S., the car is sold in about a dozen European c
Dec. 11, 2014
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Volkswagen Jetta targets young, trendy drivers
German carmaker Volkswagen is betting big on the refashioned Jetta compact sedan to retain its No. 1 brand position among 30-something drivers ― the largest demographic in the nation’s soaring import car market. According to the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association, purchases by customers in their 30s made up 38 percent of total import car sales in the first 10 months of this year. Volkswagen, the fastest-growing foreign carmaker in Korea, is the best-selling brand among these
Dec. 7, 2014
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Han Sung Motor holds Dream Gream exhibition
Han Sung Motor, the largest dealer of Mercedes-Benz cars in Korea, is holding a year-end exhibition for its Dream Gream Project, a scholarship program that aims to support school students with artistic talent. The annual event, celebrating its third anniversary this year, features art works, including portraits, furniture and calligraphy paintings, created by 20 elementary, middle and high school students over the past year in partnership with young artists. The exhibition will be held through D
Dec. 7, 2014
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Audi Korea targets 30,000 car sales in 2015
Audi Korea said Sunday that it aims to sell more than 30,000 vehicles in 2015, about 10 percent more than this year.According to the local unit of the German luxury carmaker, its car sales are expected to exceed 27,000 units by the end of this year. Buoyed by seven launches planned for 2015, including the revamped A6 and A7 sedans, the company predicted it would gain further momentum next year to sell more than 30,000 vehicles.“The sales target reflects an average 10 percent growth rate of the
Dec. 7, 2014
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China auto sales slow in November as dealer stockpiles increase
Passenger-vehicle sales in China rose at a slower pace last month as inventory levels climbed in the world’s largest auto market.Retail deliveries of cars, multipurpose and sport utility vehicles climbed 5 percent to 1.71 million units in November, the Passenger Car Association said Friday on its website. That compares with the 9.3 percent growth rate in October.Dealers are cutting prices to reach targets set by automakers to qualify for year-end bonuses that account for more than half of their
Dec. 7, 2014
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Hyundai Motor considers two more plants in China
Hyundai Motor’s plans to expand production in China appear to be gaining fresh momentum with two Chinese cities ― Chongqing and Cangzhou ― being cited as possible venues for its fourth and fifth plants.“Along with the fifth Chongqing plant, the company is newly considering renovating an existing plant in Cangzhou to build its fifth plant in China,” a ranking Hyundai executive was quoted as saying by a local newspaper on Wednesday. The flagship carmaker of Hyundai Motor Group has been considering
Dec. 3, 2014
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Hyundai chairman to discuss carmaker’s growth strategy
Hyundai Motor Group chairman Chung Mong-koo will gather together the heads of global operations later this month to discuss the next growth strategy following the group’s record car sales this year, industry sources said Tuesday. Hyundai Motor and its affiliate Kia Motors sold 7.24 million vehicles as of November, up 4.8 percent from a year ago. The Korean automotive duo said they were set to sell more than 8 million vehicles this year, their biggest-ever car sales. The Hyundai chief, however, a
Dec. 2, 2014
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Import carmakers aim to sell 215,000 units
Import car companies, which have been on a roll in recent years in South Korea, said Friday that they are aiming to sell 215,000 units in the new year, up 10 percent from 2014.In a meeting with the local automotive press, Yoon Dae-sung, executive managing director of the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association, said next year’s target reflects steadily rising demand and the growing competitiveness of import cars in the country.For this year, he said sales will likely hover around
Nov. 30, 2014
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Mercedes plans cheaper AMG performance cars
Mercedes-Benz plans to at least double deliveries of AMG performance cars over the next three years by adding vehicles that are more affordable. With the new AMG Sport line, the unit plans to make cars with souped-up engines, all-wheel drive and special brake and suspension components at prices lower than traditional offerings like a $222,000 version of the Mercedes S-Class. The first two AMG Sport models, based on the C-Class sedan and coupe variant of the GLE sport utility vehicle, will be pre
Nov. 30, 2014
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Mini plans to reduce lineup to five ‘superhero’ cars
BMW has decided that Mini has gotten too big and will shrink the compact brand’s lineup to five models from eight. The move reverses course after Mini rolled out a series of quirky derivatives like the coupe and roadster two-seaters in recent years. While that strategy sustained sales growth, it added cost and complexity. Over the long term, Mini will focus on “superhero” vehicles like the three- and five-door versions of the basic hatchback, the Countryman crossover and the Clubman wagon, which
Nov. 30, 2014
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2015 All New Smart Camry inherits family sedan DNA
I give four stars out of five for the hybrid model of the All New Toyota Camry and three for its gasoline version. Behind the steering wheel I could give it a bit more, but as a passenger, I would rather stick with the lower score. The five-hour test drive was held on Jejudo Island on Nov. 18. I was teamed up with two other reporters and drove along some mountain, seaside and forest roads. Driving both vehicles was a lot of fun. The driving was smooth and sound because the steering wheel and the
Nov. 30, 2014
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Foreign carmakers aim to sell 215,000 units in 2015, up 10% from this year
Import car companies, which have been on a roll in recent years in South Korea, said Friday that they are aiming to sell 215,000 units in the new year, up 10 percent from 2014.In a meeting with the local automotive press, Yoon Dae-sung, executive managing director of the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association (KAIDA), said next year's target reflects steadily rising demand and the growing competitiveness of import cars in the country.For this year, he said sales will likely hove
Nov. 29, 2014
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Mercedes-Benz Financial issues 70 billion won bonds
Mercedes-Benz Financial Services Korea said Friday it had issued a corporate bond of 70 billion won ($63 million) with two year tenor and fixed coupon of 2.457 percent per annum. According to the company, the proceeds of the bond ― the seventh of its kind ― will be used solely for financing vehicles of Mercedes-Benz customers in Korea. Standard Chartered Securities Korea was assigned as lead manager and Bookook Securities was named as underwriter for the transaction. “The company achieved very a
Nov. 28, 2014
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Ssangyong names new compact SUV ‘Tivoli’
A rendering of the Ssangyong TivoliSsangyong Motor on Tuesday unveiled the name of its all-new compact sport-utility vehicle, the Tivoli, pledging to make the new car a game-changer in the crowded segment. According to the carmaker, the name Tivoli originates from an Italian resort town some 30 kilometers east of Rome. It also comes from Tivoli Gardens, a theme park located in downtown Copenhagen, Denmark. “It is a famous story that Walt Disney was largely inspired by the Danish theme park befor
Nov. 25, 2014