8 carmakers to recall over 14,000 vehicles for faulty parts

Kia Corp., Mercedes-Benz Korea and six other companies will voluntarily recall more than 14,000 vehicles due to faulty components, the transport ministry said Wednesday. The companies, including Jaguar Land Rover Korea, Volkswagen Group Korea, Toyota Motor Korea Co., GM Korea Co., Tesla Korea and GM Asia Pacific Regional Headquarters Ltd., are recalling a combined 14,057 units of 21 different models, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said in a statement. The problems that prompt

Aug. 9, 2023

Volkswagen Group Korea ramps up efforts to nurture tech talent

Volkswagen Group Korea continues to make efforts to contribute to the growth of automotive-specific software talent with a series of educational and job-creating initiatives for the local economy, responding to the need for highly trained software professionals in the increasingly digitized automotive industry. One pillar of the initiatives is a partnership with German nonprofit coding school 42 Wolfsburg and Kookmin University in Seoul. The collaboration centers around the "SEA:ME" --

Aug. 8, 2023

Hyundai Motor chief underscores India expansion in EV push

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun has emphasized the importance of India as a foothold for future mobility as the South Korean automaker looks to lead the country’s fast-growing electric vehicle market. According to the Korean automaker Tuesday, the Hyundai Motor chief visited Hyundai Motor Company’s technical center and manufacturing site in India from Monday to Tuesday to discuss mid to long-term growth strategies with local employees. Hyundai Motor said Chung closel

Aug. 8, 2023

S. Korea-China sea routes resume for first time after pandemic

Sea travel routes between South Korea and China will resume after being suspended for three years and seven months, according to the Korean shipping industry on Sunday. Jiaodong Shipping said it will begin transporting passengers via car ferries on the Weihai-Pyeongtaek route starting Wednesday. Starting Thursday, Yantai Ferry and Weidong Ferry will begin operation of car ferries to ferry passengers on the Yantai-Pyeongtaek and Weihai-Incheon routes, respectively. Weidong Ferry will also begin t

Aug. 6, 2023

[KH Explains] Hyundai faces hurdles in acquiring GM’s Indian plant

With global carmakers, mainly Tesla, making forays into the growing Indian market, Hyundai Motor Group is seeking to acquire General Motors’ manufacturing plant there -- but faces challenges in its efforts. The world’s third-largest carmaker plans to complete the acquisition of GM’s Indian plant in Talegaon by this year, however, is still facing opposition from some 1,000 workers formerly employed by the US automaker. On whether the terms of the deal to acquire the plant incl

Aug. 6, 2023

Hyundai, Kia recall 91,000 US vehicles as precaution to fire risks

Hyundai Motor and Kia are recalling over 91,000 vehicles in the US due to fire risks tied to a possible defect in certain components that could overheat, according to the Korean automobile manufacturers on Friday. They advised owners to park their vehicles outdoors and away from structures until they are verified for safety or repaired. The affected vehicles include Hyundai's 2023-2024 Palisade, 2023 Tucson, Sonata, Elantra and Kona models, and the 2023-2024 Seltos and 2023 Kia Soul and Spo

Aug. 4, 2023

Hyundai, Kia to recall 91,000 vehicles in US due to fire risks

Hyundai Motor Co. and its smaller affiliate Kia Corp. said Friday they will recall more than 91,000 recently released vehicles in the United States due to fire risks. The South Korean carmakers have submitted their recall reports to the US National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. They advised customers to park affected vehicles "outside and away from structures" until the defective part is fixed. The electronic controller for the Idle Stop & Go oil pump assembly may contain

Aug. 4, 2023

Hyundai, Kia recall 91,000 US vehicles over fire risks, urge owners to park outside

Hyundai Motor and its sister firm Kia said on Thursday they are recalling more than 91,000 newer vehicles in the United States because of fire risks and urged owners to park outside and away from structures pending repairs. The recall covers Hyundai 2023-2024 Palisade, 2023 Tucson, Sonata, Elantra, and Kona vehicles and 2023-2024 Seltos and 2023 Kia Soul, Sportage vehicles. The Korean automakers said electronic controllers for the Idle Stop & Go oil pump assembly may contain damaged electr

Aug. 3, 2023

Hyundai Motor invests $50m in Canadian AI chip startup Tenstorrent

Hyundai Motor Group said Thursday it has invested $50 million in Canadian artificial intelligence semiconductor startup Tenstorrent in a move to secure key technology for future mobility. Tenstorrent recently closed a $100 million strategic funding round, for which Hyundai and its smaller affiliate Kia shelled out $30 million and $20 million, respectively. Samsung Catalyst Fund, Samsung Electronics’ evergreen multi-stage venture capital fund, was also reported as one of the largest investo

Aug. 3, 2023

[Photo News] World's first 3D taxiway navigation system

A pilot is testing a navigation system developed by Incheon Airport that provides real-time, three dimension information on ground traffic and runway routes of the airport, in June. Incheon Airport said Thursday it completed the development of the system, which is expected to help prevent aircraft entering the wrong runways and significantly reduce planes' ground travel time. The airport aims to operate the system in the airport starting 2024. (Incheon International Airport)

Aug. 3, 2023

Government vows compensation for residents amid probe into faulty apartment construction

The government and the ruling People Power Party agreed Wednesday to push for granting prospective residents of poorly constructed apartments developed by the state-run Korea Land and Housing Corp. (LH) the right to cancel their contracts. During an emergency high-level policy coordination meeting, they also promised to provide sufficient compensation to current residents of LH apartments affected by construction deficiencies. A land ministry inspection has found that not enough reinforcing ro

Aug. 2, 2023

[Photo News] Harley-Davidson US tour

Harley-Davidson Korea said Wednesday that a total of 40 riders and company staff completed its US tour held July 12-27, the first tour in four years since the COVID-19 outbreak. Riding on Harley-Davidson motorcycles, the participants crossed Route 66, one of the US' first highways, which connects eight states from Chicago to Los Angeles. (Harley-Davidson)

Aug. 2, 2023

Hyundai Mobis supplies overhead bin-shaped glove compartment for Kia EV9

Hyundai Mobis, the car parts manufacturer affiliated with Hyundai Motor Group, said Wednesday it has supplied newly developed glove compartments inspired by airplane overhead bins to Kia’s three-row family electric car, the EV9. The parabolic motion glove compartment refers to its design that opens and closes following a parabolic trajectory similar to overhead airplane luggage compartments. Unlike typical glove compartments with covers or rotational pull handles, it gradually slides open

Aug. 2, 2023

Complaints on flight ticket purchases double in H1: data

South Korea's fair trade regulator said Wednesday the number of consumer complaints regarding flight tickets more than doubled on-year in the first half of 2023 amid recovering demand for global travel. The number of such airline complaints filed to authorities reached 834 over the January-June period, rising sharply from the 305 cases tallied a year earlier, according to the data compiled by the Fair Trade Commission and the Korea Consumer Agency. The increase came in line with the rebound

Aug. 2, 2023

SK On names industry veteran as first CCO

South Korean battery cell maker SK On, affiliated with the nation’s second-largest conglomerate SK Group, on Tuesday named Sung Min-suk an automotive veteran as its first chief commercial officer. Sung, the former CEO of Hanon Systems, a Korea-based automotive parts maker, will take the new role to handle client relations as part of the battery maker’s aggressive global expansion. In line with the new appointment, SK On has also restructured its marketing, purchasing and project mana

Aug. 1, 2023

Kia to unveil new robot in 2024

Kia will debut a new robot next year in collaboration with Boston Dynamics, a US-based robotics company that was acquired by Kia’s parent Hyundai Motor Group in 2021, according to the South Korean automaker’s latest sustainability report published Tuesday. Although the report did not specify what type of robot it will be, the report noted that Kia will continue to search for new business opportunities such as robotics logistics and unstaffed delivery services by collaborating with th

Aug. 1, 2023

HD Korea Shipbuilding to acquire STX Heavy Industries

HD Korea Shipbuilding & Offshore Engineering, the shipbuilding unit under HD Hyundai, said Tuesday it will acquire STX Heavy Industries, a Korea-based marine diesel engine manufacturer in a 81.3 billion won ($63.5 million) deal. The company said it signed a contract with the private equity firm Pinetree Partners to purchase its 6.52 million shares in the engine manufacturer and an additional 5.36 million newly issued shares. The shipbuilder will become the largest shareholder holding a 35 pe

Aug. 1, 2023

[Photo News] Self-driving shuttle

42dot, a software mobility unit under Hyundai Motor Group, said Tuesday it has started an autonomous-driving shuttle service for Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance. The company's staff can hail the shuttle, equipped for eight people including a safety officer, via 42dot’s TAP! Mobile app. Twelve cameras and six radars analyze the road conditions to avoid any obstacles or pedestrians that lie ahead, the company said. (42dot)

Aug. 1, 2023

Doosan secured W500b pre-orders for lightweight EV cables

Doosan Corp., the holding unit of Doosan Group, said Monday it had secured a total of 500 billion won ($390 million) in preorders since 2019 for its lightweight patterned flat cable — or PFC — from corporate clients around the world. The PFC is a next-generation cable system pioneered by Doosan that can replace traditional cable harnesses in electric devices by reducing the weight, volume and complexity significantly, especially for electric vehicles. The PFC combines multiple cables

July 31, 2023

SK Nexilis, Toyota Tsusho to set up battery materials JV

SK Nexilis, an SKC subsidiary, said Monday it has partnered up with Japan-based Toyota Tsusho Corp. to set up a joint venture and produce copper foil for electric vehicle rechargeable batteries in North America. Under the joint investment, SK Nexilis will be in charge of copper foil production, while Toyota Tsusho Corp. plans to secure battery makers in North America. Copper foil is used as a key anode material for lithium-ion batteries. Details such as the size of the deal and the location wh

July 31, 2023