Articles by Cho Chung-un
Cho Chung-un
christory@heraldcorp.com-
Mystery of BMW fires deepens
A BMW vehicle not subject to the carmaker’s nationwide recall caught fire Wednesday, deepening the mystery of the cause of a series of incidents that have fueled safety concerns here. A BMW X1 vehicle burst into flames while traveling near a village in Imsil country of North Jeolla Province at 4:17 a.m., according to police and firefighters. No injury was reported. The vehicle, manufactured in 2012, is the 40th BMW vehicle to have caught fire this year. However, the compact SUV powered by a dies
Mobility Aug. 15, 2018
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Younger Koreans say they contemplated emigration upon NK threat
Jang Ka-yoon, a 27-year-old office worker in Seoul, had thought about leaving her home country after watching TV news reports on the worsened security situation upon threats exchanged between North Korea and the US last year. Fluent in English, Jang said she had imagined herself living in Canada or New Zealand, as both countries are known to have good environments for education and high living standards, if she had to choose to leave the country in case of an imminent war. This undated photo s
Social Affairs Aug. 15, 2018
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[Breaking] Transport Ministry orders recalled BMWs off the roads
The South Korean government ordered BMW vehicles subject to recall off the roads if they have not gone through an emergency checkup after dozens of cars burst into flames this year.In a nationally televised address, Transport Minister Kim Hyun-mee urged the head of municipalities to issue administrative orders to stop BMW drivers from using their vehicles, stressing escalating public safety issues related to the German cars. This is the first case of the government banning the operations of a sp
Mobility Aug. 14, 2018
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[Hydrogen Korea] Hyundai plans fuel cell truck in its latest hydrogen push
The Korea Herald is publishing a series of articles on South Korea’s latest measures, hurdles and the market drive for hydrogen economy. This is the second installment. -- Ed. YONGIN, Gyeonggi Province -- Hyundai Motor, which introduced the world’s first mass produced fuel cell vehicle, is reviewing production of fuel cell trucks, hoping to achieve economies of scale in hydrogen-powered mobility. Cars powered by hydrogen are not as popular as electric vehicles. But battery cars are no match for
Mobility Aug. 13, 2018
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[Hydrogen Korea] Tale of Hyundai’s hydrogen dream
In the world of automobiles, Hyundai Motor is still perceived as a fast follower. But when it comes to hydrogen technologies, the South Korean carmaker is a pioneer, leading a herd of auto giants that have been searching for a new way to replace the internal combustion engine and reduce greenhouse gases.It all began in 1998, when the carmaker joined a government research and development project into fuel cell technology. Back then, Hyundai was a latecomer in the field of hydrogen energy, with ma
Mobility Aug. 13, 2018
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[Newsmaker] BMW Korea under siege over continued fires, customers seeking criminal charges
BMW Korea, the local importer and distributor of the German luxury car, on Thursday faced escalating criticism from customers, the government and the political circle, as its vehicles continued to catch fire on motorways here, despite its apology earlier this week and nationwide safety checks. BMW 730Ld that caught fire on Thursday morning was manufactured in 2011, not subject for the carmaker's recall. (Yonhap)Two BMW diesel vehicles -- the 320d and the 730Ld -- reportedly caught fire this morn
Mobility Aug. 9, 2018
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Posco chairman urges reform ideas from executives
Posco Chairman Choi Jeong-woo has sent an email to executives to encourage suggestions for reforms at the steelmaker, the company said Tuesday.Choi appears to be seeking reform ideas from executives and stakeholders of the world’s fifth-largest steelmaker, for a new vision he plans to present in the next three months. Posco Chairman Choi Jeong-woo (Posco)Before taking office, Choi initiated the “Posco Love Letter” campaign to hear the public’s thoughts on the former state-run company, not just f
Mobility Aug. 7, 2018
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Hyosung’s tire market share in SE Asia grows
The tire arm of Hyosung Corp. saw its market share in four Southeast Asian countries grow to 40 percent this year from 22 percent two years ago, the company said Monday.The number of clients in India, Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam also increased from two to 12 in the same period, according to Hyosung Advanced Materials. (Hyosung Corp.)The company’s technical team has contributed in expanding its market share by hold regular seminars to introduce its latest materials, as sales of vehicles have
Mobility Aug. 6, 2018
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[Hydrogen Korea] Korea sets out to seize lead in hydrogen energy
The Korea Herald is publishing a series of articles on South Korea’s latest measures, hurdles and the market drive for hydrogen economy. This is the first installment. -- Ed.After a decade of dragging its feet, the South Korean government has come up with a set of measures to nurture an ecosystem for hydrogen vehicles, seeking a transition from fossil fuels to zero emission energy.For more than a decade, the state drive for a hydrogen economy has been sidelined, due to policy inconsistencies thr
Mobility Aug. 5, 2018
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[KH Explains] What caused BMW sedans to catch fire?
It started with smoke coming from the engine or an alert sign going off to advise the driver to add more coolant, according to owners of BMW vehicles that caught fire in motion in recent weeks. Sharing their experiences of watching their BMW vehicles burning on the road, some said via online communities that they at least had time to escape from the vehicles as it was not like the engine exploded.Since December 2017, a total of 30 BMW vehicles have caught fire on motorways here. Of the number, 1
Mobility July 31, 2018
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BMW Korea vows to complete safety inspection of 100,000 vehicles in two weeks
BMW Korea, the local importer and distributer of the German carmaker, vowed to complete the inspection of more than 100,000 vehicles suspected of having faulty parts by operating its service centers nationwide 24 hours a day for the next two weeks.In an announcement released Monday afternoon, the company said that all vehicles subject to its voluntary recall would go through an hourlong inspection service and that the parts would be replaced. Alternative vehicles will be provided during inspecti
Mobility July 30, 2018
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[Newsmaker] BMW Korea faces lawsuit by customers over faulty engines
A group of customers has filed a lawsuit against BMW Korea and its dealer Deutsche Motors over faulty engine parts allegedly susceptible to fire, demanding compensation. Ha Jong-sun, a lawyer at the Seoul-based Barun Law, said Monday that four owners of BMW 520d sedans lodged a suit with the Seoul Central District Court, seeking 5 million won ($4,475) in damages for safety concerns and a drop in car value. The amount of compensation could go up, depending on the results of vehicle evaluation, he
Mobility July 30, 2018
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VW Korea CEO hints at Passat TSI markdown
Volkswagen Korea, the local importer and distributor for the German carmaker, is likely to offer a huge price reduction for its latest Passat series, intent to expand sales here.According to local sources, the carmaker has approved dealers to offer nearly 30 percent off the Passat TSI, expected to make its official debut here in mid-August. The retail price of the sedan is projected to be around 36 million won ($32,300), but the final price will drop to around 26 million won, bringing it into th
Mobility July 29, 2018
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Hyundai to provide 1,200 hybrid cabs to Singapore
South Korean auto giant Hyundai Motor has signed a contract to provide up to 1,200 Ioniq hybrid cars to a Singaporean taxi operator, the company said Thursday.The contract states that Hyundai will provide Ioniq hybrids to Comfort Delgro, a Singaporean logistics company, by the first half of 2019. Ioniq hybrid taxi (Hyundai Motor)Starting with the taxi-version of Hyundai’s sedan Sonata, the carmaker has been providing vehicles for Comfort Delgro since 2007. So far, the carmaker has sold about 24,
Mobility July 26, 2018
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Hyundai Motor H1 profit dives
Despite improved sales of sport utility vehicles, Hyundai Motor’s profit fell 37.1 percent on-year in the first half of this year, due to the strong Korean won and a rise in production cost.The carmaker saw 47.1 trillion won ($42 billion) in sales, a 1.1 percent decrease, and earned 1.63 trillion won in operating profit, the company said in a statement.The worse-than-expected profit came even though the carmaker sold more vehicles than the same period last year. It sold 2.24 million units, a 4.5
Mobility July 26, 2018
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