Korea’s pickup sales roar back as Kia, KG roll out fresh models

Korea’s pickup market is seeing its first rebound in six years, fueled by domestic carmakers rolling out new models that have spurred fresh competition in the mid-range segment. According to industry tracker Carisyou, 17,136 units of pickups were sold in Korea between January and August, up 74.9 percent from a year earlier. The figure has already far surpassed the 2024 annual total of 13,954 units. Leading the sales surge is Kia’s Tasman, the company’s first pickup in over 50 years. It sold 5,93

Oct. 7, 2025

Lexus, Volvo, Audi vie for 4th place in Korea’s import car spot

Lexus and Volvo are locked in fierce competition to claim the No. 4 spot in Korea’s imported car market, while BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Tesla dominate the top three by a wide margin. The fight for the “gateway position” into the upper tier has grown more intense as Audi ramps up new model launches to reclaim its position among the leading imported brands. According to data from the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association, Lexus ranked fourth in cumulative sales from January to Augu

Oct. 6, 2025

SK Discovery exits SK D&D in W74b deal with Hahn & Co.

SK Discovery Co., an investment arm of South Korea’s SK Group, said Wednesday it has sold its entire stake in real estate affiliate SK D&D to private equity firm Hahn & Company. The deal includes over 5.8 million shares, accounting for SK Discovery’s full 31.3 percent interest, with a transaction value of around 74.2 billion won ($52.7 million). According to SK Discovery, the stake sale reflects SK Group’s portfolio reshaping drive, under which the group seeks to secure 80 trillion won by 2026 a

Oct. 1, 2025

Unionized workers of Kia vote to accept wage hike deal

Unionized workers of Kia, South Korea's second-largest carmaker, voted Tuesday to accept a wage hike deal for this year, the company said, marking the fifth consecutive year the company wrapped up wage talks without a strike. Kia said 73.1 percent of 21,356 union members who participated in the vote supported the tentative deal reached between labor and management. The agreement includes a 100,000 won (US$71) increase in monthly base pay, a performance-based bonus equivalent to 350 percent of ba

Sept. 30, 2025

Weflo named only Korean startup in Gartner’s Physical AI top list

South Korean aviation mobility startup Weflo said Tuesday it has been selected for the drone sector in Gartner’s “Emerging Tech: Top-Funded Startups in Physical AI” report, becoming the only Korean company on the list. Gartner analyzed 130 physical artificial intelligence startups that raised venture capital between January 2023 and June 2025, with a total of $12.3 billion in investments. Weflo was named among the top nine drone firms by investment size. Physical AI, highlighted as a key theme a

Sept. 30, 2025

[Photo News] GV60 Magma survives harsh trials ahead of debut

Hyundai Motor Company’s premium brand Genesis said Tuesday it has completed global road tests for its first high-performance EV ahead of its official debut this year. The GV60 Magma underwent extreme weather trials in Sweden, the US and New Zealand, as well as circuit runs in Korea, to refine handling, stability and ride comfort. Marking Genesis’ 10th anniversary, the GV60 Magma is set to become the brand’s flagship electrified performance vehicle, blending luxury and dynamic driving.

Sept. 30, 2025

Hyundai Mobis joins forces with 23 local firms to localize auto chips

Hyundai Mobis, the auto parts arm of Hyundai Motor Group, has launched Korea’s first private-sector alliance on automotive semiconductors in a bid to reduce reliance on imports. Hyundai Mobis held the first Auto Semicon Korea forum on Monday in Pangyo, Gyeonggi Province, bringing together 23 companies and institutions such as Samsung Electronics, LX Semicon, SK Key Foundry, DB HiTek and the Korea Electrotechnology Research Institute. The event was attended by CEO Lee Gyu-suk and some 80 senior e

Sept. 29, 2025

Battery blaze at state data center casts shadow over ESS push

A battery fire in the backup power system at the National Information Resources Service, Korea’s central government data center authority, is raising concerns over the country’s push to expand battery energy storage systems. According to the fire agency and media reports on Sunday, the fire that broke out Friday at the NIRS data center in Daejeon originated from lithium-ion batteries in the uninterruptible power supply (UPS). It took 22 hours to fully extinguish the blaze. A contractor who was w

Sept. 28, 2025

Cumulative sales of Hyundai Motor's GV80 exceed 100,000 in US

Cumulative sales of Hyundai Motor's GV80 sports utility vehicle have surpassed 100,000 units in the United States just five years after its launch, according to the carmaker Sunday. The GV80, which debuted in 2020 in one of the world's largest automobile markets, reached 100,446 units sold in the US as of last month on strong consumer demand, according to Genesis. The model drew global attention in 2021, when golfer Tiger Woods survived a serious rollover crash in a GV80 during the Genesis Invit

Sept. 28, 2025

Hyundai Motor ramps up local hiring in wake of Georgia immigration raid

Hyundai Motor is stepping up efforts to recruit local talent at its recently opened Georgia plant in the aftermath of a massive immigration raid at the construction site of the joint battery plant between Hyundai Motor and LG Energy Solution in the state earlier this month. According to the career website of Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, there were 33 job openings as of Thursday. Of them, 28 were uploaded after the US immigration and law enforcement authorities carried out the large-sca

Sept. 25, 2025

Battery giants brace for high-stakes rematch in W1tr ESS bid

Competition is heating up among South Korean battery firms, as they prepare for a 1 trillion won ($720 million) second round of government-led bidding for large-scale energy storage systems. At stake is not only market share at home, but also a springboard for global expansion, as winning contracts is expected to help validate product safety and performance in overseas tenders. The Korea Power Exchange confirmed it will open bidding next month for 540 megawatts of ESS capacity, mirroring the siz

Sept. 24, 2025

Robocrop: Farms try out Hyundai’s robotic suits

A farmer works in a grape vineyard wearing the X-ble Shoulder wearable robot developed by Hyundai Motor and Kia. Under a partnership signed Tuesday with the Rural Development Administration, the carmakers plan to provide the robotic suits to farmers. Originally designed to ease above-shoulder industrial tasks, the device is now being tested for agricultural use through joint projects with the state agency. (Hyundai Motor Group)

Sept. 24, 2025

Kia’s EV5 blends space, safety and value in compact SUV

Launched in Korea in September, Kia’s EV5 represents the brand’s latest step in electrification, positioned in the compact sport utility vehicle segment long led by its best-selling Sportage. With its roomy interior and cutting-edge safety features, the EV5 caters to families seeking comfort and drivers looking for a versatile, adventure-ready ride. On Tuesday, the Korea Herald test-drove the EV5 for about 100 kilometers between Hanam and Gapyeong in Gyeonggi Province, covering both highways and

Sept. 24, 2025

Hyundai Motorstudio Seoul revamped as cultural hub for car lovers

Hyundai Motorstudio Seoul, which opened its doors to journalists Tuesday after its recent makeover, has transformed into a car-lover's paradise. The first-floor shelves are lined with some 2,500 auto-related books and 500 auto-themed items ranging from vintage catalogs and emblems to collectible model cars, with some rare models available for purchase. Named the Auto Library, the first and second floors were delicately curated in collaboration with Culture Convenience Club, a Japanese operator o

Sept. 23, 2025

Georgia governor eyes Hyundai talks in Seoul after raid fallout

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is seeking a meeting with Hyundai Motor executives in Seoul following a US immigration raid that detained more than 300 Korean workers at the company’s joint battery plant in Georgia. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and other news outlets, Kemp’s office sent emails on Sept. 8 — just four days after the unprecedented immigration raid — stating that he wishes to meet Hyundai officials during an upcoming trip to Korea and underscoring Hyundai’s importance as a

Sept. 22, 2025