Most Popular
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Opposition-led Assembly unilaterally passes bill to probe Marine's death
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Golden chance to liquidate babies’ gold rings?
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Inflation eases in April, continues bumpy ride
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Russia sent more than 165,000 barrels of refined petroleum to N. Korea in March: White House
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Seoul to more than double military drones by 2026 to counter NK threats
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Key suspects grilled over alleged abuse of power in Marine death inquiry
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Seoul alerts overseas missions to NK terror threats
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Over 60% of S. Koreans support W100m childbirth incentive: survey
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‘Inside Out 2’ adds four new emotions, explores teenage life
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Questions raised over fair promotion of RM, NewJeans
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Mexico surpassing Japan in exporting autos to U.S.
Blame it on NAFTA.Japan has ranked among the top two auto exporters to the U.S. since the 1970s, shipping Toyotas, Hondas and Nissans more than 8,000 kilometers across the Pacific.The Asian nation is poised to be eclipsed this year by Mexico, which as recently as 1990 sent fewer than a quarter of a million vehicles across its northern border. Mexico’s tally will reach 1.9 million in 2015, topping Canada as the biggest exporter of cars to the world’s largest economy, consultant IHS Automotive est
Feb. 2, 2014
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Toyota labor union to request salary increase as profit surges
Toyota Motor Corp.’s labor union is seeking a raise in workers’ base salary for the first time in five years as analysts estimate profit at Japan’s biggest manufacturer rose to a record profit this fiscal year.The workers will ask at the annual spring labor negotiations for a net 4,000 yen ($39) average increase in monthly wages and annual bonuses valued at 6.8 months’ salary, according to a statement from the union yesterday.The demand from the workers of the world’s biggest automaker comes aft
Feb. 2, 2014
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BMW recalls over 14,000 cars in Korea
BMW Group Korea, the local importer of German automaker BMW AG, is recalling over 14,000 vehicles sold here because of faulty wiring and a defective oil pump that could impair braking, the transportation ministry said Tuesday. The faulty wiring found in over 10,000 vehicles of 12 different types could cause a failure of various lights, including turn signals, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.The recall affects a total of 11,695 vehicles, including 9,822 units of th
Jan. 28, 2014
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GM Korea takes steps to ease downsizing concerns
Union workers at GM Korea Co.’s regional plant said Monday that they were told the management will not insist on introducing a single work shift, a measure that eases fears of downsizing among employees.The carmaker is the South Korean unit of U.S. auto giant General Motors Co. which had announced late last year that it would not be selling Chevrolet-branded cars in Europe from 2016 onward. The decision instantly raised speculation that the automaker would start layoffs in Korea, a major product
Jan. 27, 2014
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Macan a great fit for Korea: Porsche
In Korea, where Confucianism still lingers and it’s safer to be conservative, sexy cars have yet to catch on in earnest despite a growing demand.Sales may be picking up, but it’s still rather rare to come across red-hot sports cars on the road since people seem content with buying and parking their goods in the garage, rather than flaunting them. In this sense, Porsche’s Macan series ― a compact crossover SUV ― seems to be a perfect fit for Korea. Armed with a rather affordable price and an unmi
Jan. 26, 2014
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Toyota beats GM in 2013 as 10 million vehicles sold
Toyota Motor Corp. set a target of selling an unprecedented 10 million vehicles in 2014 after leading General Motors Co. and Volkswagen AG in global auto deliveries for a second straight year. Worldwide vehicle sales at Toyota, including deliveries from subsidiaries Hino Motors Ltd. and Daihatsu Motor Co., rose 2.4 percent to 9.98 million units last year, the Toyota City, Japan-based automaker said in a statement on Thursday. That compared with the 9.71 million units sold by GM and over 9.7 mill
Jan. 26, 2014
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Kia Soul: Great eye candy, iffy performance
The moment I laid my eyes on the funky, two-toned 2014 Kia Soul hatchback, all I could think was “cute.” From its rounded boxy edges and red roof to the headlamps and grille that gave the car an unmistakably “toy-like” look, the Kia Soul was the ultimate synonym for “adorable.” The Soul got a heavy revamp this year, the first since its launch in 2008. Hoping to grab the attention of those who were already smitten with BMW’s Mini Cooper, the Soul was designed to cater to younger drivers, who Kia
Jan. 26, 2014
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Kumho Tires wins third iF design award
Kumho Tires said Thursday that the company won Germany’s iF Design Award in the category of product design with its high-performance tires, the ECSTA PS91 and the ECSTA HS51.Designed to be equipped on high-performance super cars, both tires have checkered flag logos on their tread patterns and sidewalls and other design features that boast dynamism and sportiness, the company said. The iF Design Award carries 60 years of prestige and tradition and is regarded as one of world’s most renowned inte
Jan. 26, 2014
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BMW aims for electric i3 price tag similar to 3 Series
BMW expects the new i3 electric vehicle to be priced in the U.S. similarly to a 3 Series compact car, the automaker’s top executive for the market said. “It will be in the ballpark of a normally” equipped 3 Series, Ludwig Willisch, head of BMW North America, said during a presentation at J.D. Power’s International Automotive Roundtable in New Orleans, which is being held in advance of the annual National Automobile Dealers Association convention.The four-door i3 small car, the first offering of
Jan. 26, 2014
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Porsche eyes growth in Korea
Porsche Korea has vowed to expand its local reach by at least 10 percent this year by spreading what managing director Kim Geun-tak called the “Porsche Virus.” “With the value added from Korea’s innovative management, we hope to better address our consumers in Korea,” he said at a press conference on Thursday. It was the first press conference Porsche Korea has held since its official establishment at the start of this year, becoming Porsche AG’s 17th subsidiary globally and fourth in Asia after
Jan. 23, 2014
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Renault Samsung launches QM5 Neo SUV
Renault Samsung Motors Co., the local unit of French automaker Renault S.A., said Wednesday it launched a refreshed version of its popular QM5 compact sport-utility vehicle in South Korea.The country’s smallest carmaker said the QM5 Neo features design aspects that were first introduced on the mini-crossover QM3.Compared to the existing design, the QM5 Neo has more flowing and athletic body lines, which give the car a more “premium” appearance, the company claimed. The new car also has enhanced
Jan. 22, 2014
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[Photo News] Car of the year
Jan. 21, 2014
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[Photo News] BMW reaches high
Jan. 20, 2014
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Terms of a hot hatch ― Volkswagen Golf
For Hyundai Motor, the Volkswagen Golf may be both a source of inspiration and an eyesore. The Korean carmaker often admits that its engineers take the popular hatch apart to study, and its latest compact cars have a greater competitive edge than ever before. (A Volkswagen executive also once told me that the company was inspecting new vehicles from Hyundai as well.)But after my four-day test drive of the Golf, I felt there was still a clear gap that cannot be narrowed soon between the two rival
Jan. 19, 2014
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‘Let it snow,’ Jaguar roars
Jaguar, which has earned a reputation for its classic, luxurious interior styling, is now seeking supremacy in the all-wheel-drive category. The absence of an all-wheel-drive system had put Jaguar at a competitive disadvantage to its rivals such as BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi. But now the carmaker pledges to become a game-changer in the luxury car market.“Equipped with Jaguar’s own all-wheel-drive system, our sedans now offer the superior grip of luxury SUVs on any road surfaces as well as the d
Jan. 19, 2014
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Rolls-Royce sees record sales in Korea
Rolls-Royce, the high-end luxury carmaker owned by BMW Group, said last week that it sold 30 units last year in Korea ― its highest sales yet.The Rolls-Royce Ghost, priced at about 400 million won ($375,000) here, accounted for 27 of the 30 cars that were sold, proving to be the bestselling model among Korean big spenders.The wide popularity of the Ghost demonstrates the growth potential for the super-luxury segment in Korea, according to Lee Chul-seung, the head of the official importer Rolls-R
Jan. 19, 2014
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Toyota seeks heart-racing Camry without losing No. 1 spot
Toyota Motor has a challenge: How to heed President Akio Toyoda’s insistence on heart-racing design for the next Camry and Prius models without jeopardizing their mass-market appeal. Getting it wrong risks knocking Camry from its perch as the best-selling U.S. car, a title held for 12 consecutive years, and seeing Prius, which sells more than 200,000 units annually in the U.S., eclipsed by newer hybrid vehicles. While next-generation versions of both cars are in the works, Toyota executives have
Jan. 19, 2014
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GM CEO Barra’s 2014 pay could be worth more than $4.4 million
Mary Barra, who became the first female chief executive officer of General Motors Co. last week, may receive compensation in 2014 worth more than $4.4 million. Barra, 52, will earn $1.6 million in salary and is eligible to receive an additional $2.8 million as part of the company’s short-term incentive plan, Detroit-based GM said yesterday in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Barra also is likely to receive additional compensation as part of a new long-term incentive pla
Jan. 19, 2014
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Hyundai Motor seeks to move ‘upmarket’ in India
Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea’s largest carmaker, said Friday that it seeks to move “upmarket” in India this year, while expanding sales of its popular mini-sized city cars.The carmaker is already the second-largest automotive nameplate on the subcontinent with its market share topping a little over 15 percent with around 380,000 vehicles sold in 2013.The Indian car industry as a whole is dominated by Maruti Suzuki, a subsidiary of Japan’s Suzuki Motor Corp. that held a 43 percent market share
Jan. 17, 2014
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Hyundai’s European sales dip in 2013
Car sales by Hyundai Motor Co. backtracked in Europe last year amid weak overall market conditions, while its smaller sibling Kia Motors Corp. managed to increase its presence on the continent, industry data showed Thursday.According to the data by the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association, Hyundai sold around 408,000 units in 2013, down 2.2 percent from the previous year. Kia, on the other hand, posted sales topping 329,000 vehicles, up 0.4 percent on-year.The changes caused Hyundai’s
Jan. 17, 2014