Journalist

Han Ji-hyun
  • Hyundai Rotem CEO Lee Yong-bae elected head of Korea Space Technology Promotion Association
    Hyundai Rotem CEO Lee Yong-bae elected head of Korea Space Technology Promotion Association The Korea Space Technology Promotion Association said Lee Yong-bae, CEO of Hyundai Rotem, was elected as its new chairman at a general meeting on the 26th. His term is three years. Lee graduated from Jeonju University with a degree in business administration and earned a master’s in business administration from Kyung Hee University. He has held senior planning roles at Hyundai Motor, served as a vice president in charge of planning at Hyundai Wia, and was CEO of Hyundai Motor Securities before becoming CEO of Hyundai Rotem in 2020. Hyundai Rotem has been strengthening its aerospace capabilities, including launching development last year of methane engine technology for the country’s first reusable space launch vehicle. In his inaugural remarks, Lee said he felt a “heavy sense of responsibility” to lead the association at a time when South Korea’s space industry is entering the NewSpace era in earnest. He said he would focus all efforts on building a globally competitive space ecosystem. He said he would pursue three key tasks: expanding government-private cooperation, identifying business models such as boosting investment, and strengthening international cooperation networks so Korean companies can compete in global markets. The association was established in May 2014 to foster the space technology industry. It has 118 member companies, including Hyundai Rotem.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-26 13:45:07
  • MINI Korea Launches Limited-Run Paul Smith Edition Electric Cooper SE
    MINI Korea Launches Limited-Run Paul Smith Edition Electric Cooper SE BMW MINI is officially launching a limited-edition electric vehicle in South Korea that combines MINI styling with design elements from British fashion brand Paul Smith. The project is part of MINI’s new “Customization 2.0” strategy, aimed at reflecting customers’ tastes and lifestyles and strengthening the brand’s fan culture. Jeong Su-won, head of BMW MINI Korea, said at a Feb. 26 media event in Seoul’s Yongsan district that MINI entered the Korean market in 2005 with sales of 761 vehicles and has since sold a cumulative 134,103 units through last year — a 176-fold increase. “This year, through Customization 2.0, we will launch new models that actively reflect customers’ lifestyles across six areas — music, art, sports, travel, fashion and tech,” Jeong said. The first model under that push is the all-electric MINI Cooper SE Paul Smith Edition unveiled at the event. The collaboration incorporates Paul Smith’s design philosophy throughout the exterior and interior. The roof, grille, side mirror caps and wheels feature “Nottingham Green,” a signature Paul Smith color, while Paul Smith lettering is engraved on items including the door handles, wheel caps and front and rear design elements. Inside, the seats, dashboard and floor mats use Paul Smith’s 46-stripe signature pattern. When the door opens, a “Hello” projection appears on the ground. The model is offered in three colors: Inspired White, Statement Gray and Midnight Black. The Paul Smith Edition is limited to 100 units in South Korea and has sold out. Jeong said the full allotment was reserved within about a month of preorders opening last month, and the company has placed an order for additional units. “On the back of that support, we decided to add an internal-combustion Paul Smith Edition model around the second half of the year,” he said. He also said MINI plans to introduce 11 models this year that more closely align the brand with owners’ lifestyles. The vehicle uses an electric motor rated at 218 horsepower and 33.7 kg·m of maximum torque, reaching 100 kph from a standstill in 6.7 seconds. It carries a 54.2 kWh high-voltage battery and is rated at 5.3 km/kWh in efficiency. On a single charge, it is certified for 300 kilometers under Korean standards and up to 402 kilometers under the WLTP standard. With fast charging, the battery can be charged from 10% to 80% in about 30 minutes. The price in South Korea is 59.7 million won. With the national EV subsidy (3.96 million won) and local subsidies (9.14 million won, based on Haenam County in South Jeolla Province), the purchase price can fall into the 40 million won range. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-26 13:36:44
  • Hyundai Motor to Add Car Rental Business to Corporate Purpose
    Hyundai Motor to Add Car Rental Business to Corporate Purpose Hyundai Motor Co. plans to add car rental services to its stated business purposes, a move widely seen as part of an effort to upgrade its in-house subscription service, Hyundai Genesis Selection. Industry officials said Feb. 26 that Hyundai Motor will hold its annual shareholders meeting on March 26 at its headquarters in Seoul’s Seocho district and is expected to approve an agenda item adding “car rental business” to its corporate purpose. A company official said the change reflects consideration of entering the car rental business. Hyundai Motor said it plans to push ahead this year with an upgrade of Hyundai Genesis Selection, a vehicle subscription program it has operated since 2019. Hyundai Genesis Selection allows customers to rent Hyundai and Genesis vehicles by the day or month. Hyundai Motor plans and operates the platform, while partner rental-car companies supply the vehicles. While Hyundai Motor has so far focused on running the subscription platform, it is expected to expand its role to directly renting vehicles alongside partner rental firms. That could significantly broaden the range of models available through the service, industry observers said. Models available for day-by-day subscriptions are reported to total about 10, including the Staria, Palisade, Ioniq 5 N, Ioniq 6, Avante N and Nexo.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-26 10:16:30
  • Mercedes-Benz Korea Signs Retail of the Future Deal With 11 Dealers, Launch Set for April
    Mercedes-Benz Korea Signs Retail of the Future Deal With 11 Dealers, Launch Set for April Mercedes-Benz Korea said it held a signing ceremony on the 25th at the Shilla Seoul hotel with 11 authorized dealers to support the rollout of a new vehicle sales model, “Retail of the Future” (RoF). The company said RoF will be officially implemented April 13. Under RoF, Mercedes-Benz Korea will integrate vehicle pricing and inventory management that previously differed by dealer. Customers will be able to buy vehicles at a single company-set price at any authorized showroom nationwide, without negotiating, and check nationwide inventory in real time, the company said. The company said a standardized sales process spanning online and offline channels is intended to provide the same level of customer experience nationwide. Mercedes-Benz Korea and the 11 dealers said they have worked since 2023 to prepare for RoF, including building systems, stabilizing operations, training dealers and establishing on-site processes. They said they plan to continue close cooperation to ensure the new model takes hold. “RoF is a strategic decision to ensure customers can enjoy a consistent and trustworthy purchase experience, wherever and whenever, that matches the brand,” Mercedes-Benz Korea CEO Matthias Geitl said. He said it was meaningful to be able to introduce the new sales model in April based on close discussions with the 11 dealers over the past three years, with shared goals of improving customer experience and satisfaction and pursuing mutual growth. Starting April 13, customers will be able to check vehicle prices and information on the official Mercedes-Benz website, choose an authorized showroom nationwide, and proceed with detailed purchase consultations and test drives, the company said. Mercedes-Benz Korea and its dealers also agreed to continue the social contribution activities they have jointly carried out over the past 12 years after RoF is introduced. Mercedes-Benz Korea said it launched the “Mercedes-Benz Social Contribution Committee” in 2014 with its local affiliates and the 11 authorized dealers and has carried out various social contribution programs aimed at growing together with Korean society. 2026-02-26 09:36:23
  • KGMC Delivers First E-STANA, South Korea’s First 7-Meter Low-Floor Electric Bus
    KGMC Delivers First E-STANA, South Korea’s First 7-Meter Low-Floor Electric Bus KGM Commercial, or KGMC, said Feb. 26 it has begun deliveries after handing over the first unit of its E-STANA, a 7-meter-class low-floor electric bus it says is the first of its kind developed in South Korea. KGMC held the handover ceremony Feb. 25 at Jagyeong Village Bus in Gwangmyeong, Gyeonggi Province, with KGMC CEO Kim Jong-hyun and Jagyeong Village Bus CEO Jang Gwan-su attending along with officials from Gwangmyeong City Hall, the Gyeonggi Village Bus Association and representatives of about 10 village-bus companies in the province, the company said. Jagyeong Village Bus, founded in 1992, operates in southern Gwangmyeong and serves areas with limited transportation options. The company said it chose the low-floor E-STANA to better serve riders with mobility challenges. "Until now, there was no domestic 7-meter low-floor electric bus, so we had no choice but to buy diesel buses," Jang said. "KGMC’s E-STANA, the first domestically produced 7-meter low-floor electric bus, will be a practical, close-to-home means of transportation that people with disabilities and older adults can use more conveniently." KGMC said the E-STANA was independently developed with South Korean road conditions in mind and is designed for safety, durability and convenience. Features include a 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster, an electronic parking brake system, an electronic brake system, auto-hold, electronic stability control and a rear-collision warning system, as well as wheelchair-access convenience equipment based on city-bus specifications. The bus is equipped with a 154.8-kWh lithium-ion high-voltage battery from Samsung SDI and has a driving range of 328 kilometers per charge, KGMC said. KGMC said the model is eligible for national and local government subsidies for electric vehicles, as well as subsidies for low-floor buses, which it said can reduce buyers’ costs. KGMC is also expanding outreach through a nationwide E-STANA roadshow that visits bus operators. The company said it has held events at about 30 locations since January, starting in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province and moving through Chungcheong and Honam, and plans to visit about 10 more sites in the Yeongnam region, including Busan, through March. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-26 09:15:19
  • Jin Air Extends Add-On Service Purchase and Refund Deadlines to 4 Hours Before Departure
    Jin Air Extends Add-On Service Purchase and Refund Deadlines to 4 Hours Before Departure Jin Air said Tuesday it is expanding the deadlines for buying and refunding ancillary services to improve customer convenience. Under the changes, effective Tuesday, customers can buy or request refunds for key services — including advance seat selection, excess baggage and fast baggage retrieval — up to four hours before departure, extended from the previous 24-hour cutoff. The airline also adjusted the deadline for preordered in-flight meals and meal-pack products to 48 hours before departure, from 72 hours, to give customers more flexibility. Jin Air said it also improved website usability by adding estimated flight-time information by route and updating the user interface so customers can more easily compare bundle-discount rates with individual purchases. To mark the expanded service, Jin Air will offer two discount coupons through its website and mobile app through March 10. Customers can download a 5,000-won coupon for excess baggage and a 2,000-won coupon for preordered meals and use them for travel between Feb. 25 and March 28. A Jin Air official said the changes follow the start of a codeshare with Air Busan and are intended to further improve customer convenience ahead of integration. The official said the airline will continue to review customer experience and pursue customer-focused service improvements. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-25 18:09:16
  • T’way Air to Rebrand as Trinity Air, Expanding Beyond Low-Cost Model
    T’way Air to Rebrand as Trinity Air, Expanding Beyond Low-Cost Model T’way Air, a low-cost carrier founded in 2010, will be reborn as “Trinity Air” after 16 years, aiming to raise brand value by combining air travel with lodging and travel services in a “three-in-one” offering. According to industry officials on Tuesday, the airline plans a full rebrand starting around September, applying the new name to aircraft liveries, airport check-in counters, and its booking and ticketing systems. The carrier traces its roots to Hansung Airlines, launched in 2004, and changed its name to T’way Air in 2010. It has held the No. 2 spot among South Korea’s low-cost carriers, behind Jeju Air, for about 16 years. Industry data show T’way Air’s total passenger count topped 11 million last year, up about 10% from roughly 9.9 million in 2023 and 5% from about 10.5 million in 2024. As routes expanded to Southeast Asia, Europe, North America, Central Asia and Oceania, the number of scheduled routes rose 26%, from 50 in 2023 to 63 as of February this year. The new name, “TRINITY,” comes from the Latin “Trinitas,” meaning a trinity. The airline said it reflects a plan to go beyond flights by combining lodging and travel to upgrade the customer experience. T’way Air was acquired by Daemyung Sono Group in February last year, and the company plans to use the new name as a starting point to generate synergies. Trinity Air plans to strengthen those ties by linking routes spanning Asia, Europe and the Americas with hotel and resort infrastructure to offer differentiated package products. The airline is also moving to build systems to improve service as it expands long-haul routes to North America and Europe. It said long-haul passengers tend to spend more time at airports and have higher expectations for rest areas, refreshments and baggage-related services. While a single-seat structure centered on low-cost operations has limited value-added revenue, long-haul routes allow lounge operations and more varied seating, supporting both diversified profitability and a better customer experience. A lounge service is expected to be an early step. The airline is reviewing a plan to lease an existing Asiana Airlines lounge in Incheon International Airport’s Terminal 1 and use it as a dedicated lounge, and it has submitted a letter of intent to Korea Airports Corp. It also opened a new “Premium Check-in” Counter A in Terminal 1 for business-class passengers and T’way Plus Platinum members. The company said it plans additional measures to provide a more integrated travel experience, consistent with the new brand concept. “Trinity Air is the starting point signaling a new leap forward for the company,” a T’way Air official said. “Based on customer safety and sustainability, we will open new possibilities in the aviation industry.” * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-25 18:03:29
  • Volvo Car Korea Expands Toy Hospital Drive, Donates 707 Repaired Toys
    Volvo Car Korea Expands Toy Hospital Drive, Donates 707 Repaired Toys Volvo Car Korea said Tuesday it expanded its “Volvo Toy Hospital” event to major showrooms nationwide, collecting and donating a total of 707 toys in partnership with the Swedish Embassy in Seoul and Kinis Toy Hospital. The event ran from Nov. 15 to Dec. 14 at Volvo showrooms across the country. During the campaign, visitors donated unused or broken toys as part of year-end giving, the company said. Showrooms also offered hands-on programs for families, including a color-book DIY kit designed to evoke Sweden’s year-end holiday atmosphere. The 707 broken toys collected nationwide were sent to Kinis Toy Hospital’s “toy doctors,” a group that includes retired engineering Ph.D.s, teachers and manufacturing experts, and were repaired, the company said. The restored toys will be delivered in stages through Kinis to organizations that need them, including local care centers and an environmental coalition. Lee Yoon-mo, CEO of Volvo Car Korea, said he hoped families found meaning in donating toys children once cherished and taking part in a resource-circulation effort that gives broken items a new use. He added that the company will continue working toward a sustainable world for future generations. Volvo Car Korea said it continues to carry out social-contribution programs aimed at promoting sustainability based on a people-centered philosophy. It said it has maintained cooperation with the Purme Foundation to support customized assistive devices and rehabilitation for children and teenagers with disabilities. The company also said it previously donated about 15,000 “children’s safety key rings” to childcare support centers and the National Police Agency to help strengthen child safety on the road. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-25 17:54:16
  • KAI Board Fails to Take Up Vote on New CEO Amid Union Objections
    KAI Board Fails to Take Up Vote on New CEO Amid Union Objections Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) on the 25th failed to move forward with selecting a new CEO after internal opposition prevented the board from taking up the agenda item. The company plans to complete the selection before next month’s regular shareholders meeting, but further friction is expected as the union and employees challenge the candidate’s suitability and the fairness of the process. KAI had planned to discuss appointing Kim Jong-chul, former head of the Unmanned Systems Division at the Defense Acquisition Program Administration, at a board meeting held that morning at its Seoul office in Gangnam. But the union’s opposition kept the item from being placed on the agenda, leaving the CEO post vacant for about seven months. A KAI official said the board meeting proceeded as scheduled, but the CEO appointment item was not brought forward. “The future schedule is uncertain,” the official said. Kim, born in 1962, is a graduate of the 31st class of the Korea Air Force Academy. He served about 23 years as an Air Force officer, retiring in 2006 as a lieutenant colonel. That year, when DAPA was launched, he was hired through a special recruitment process at Grade 4. He is credited with helping draw up the agency’s initial organization and staffing, innovation plans and basic plans to promote defense exports, according to the report. He is also known to have close ties with DAPA Commissioner Lee Yong-cheol as a member of the agency’s founding group. During his time at DAPA, Kim held key posts including head of the Defense Export Support Team, head of the Project Operations Management Team, director of the Offset Trade Division and planning and coordination officer. From June 2011 for about two years, he served as director of the Offset Trade Division under the Acquisition Planning Bureau, handling planning work related to offset trade for major export items. While his background as a military defense-industry specialist is seen as a strength, the report said his experience in unmanned aircraft programs — cited as a key asset — has limited overlap with KAI’s work. Kim also has political ties dating to the 20th presidential election, when he worked with Lee Jae-myung’s campaign. In 2022, he served as vice chairman of the campaign’s Smart Strong Military Committee, a group of former generals that developed policies for advanced science and technology, with goals including AI-based manned-unmanned teaming systems involving drones and robots, and training drone warriors. The report said he is believed to enjoy Lee’s trust after serving as a bridge to bolster confidence in the campaign’s security views within a military culture known for strong conservative leanings. Inside KAI, opposition has been strong. The union is protesting that another figure with ties to a presidential campaign and a military background has been named as CEO candidate. It argues that with tasks piling up — including improving management efficiency, developing new weapons and fostering export products — it is inappropriate for a military figure to lead the company. Many employees are also said to be questioning the procedural legitimacy of the selection process. In a statement issued the previous day, the union said it is widely being discussed that the candidate, after working on a presidential campaign, was mentioned as a possible DAPA commissioner but fell through and is now “coming down” to KAI as CEO. If the appointment goes ahead, the union said, it would be hard to avoid criticism that it is a reward-based parachute appointment by the Lee Jae-myung government. KAI has been without a CEO for about seven months since July 2025, when Kang Goo-young — described in the report as having ties to former President Yoon Suk Yeol’s presidential campaign — resigned early. Vice President Cha Jae-byung is serving as acting CEO, but the prolonged absence of a control tower has created difficulties in major projects at home and abroad, the report said. 2026-02-25 15:06:24
  • KAMA Names Jung Dae-jin as New Chairman
    KAMA Names Jung Dae-jin as New Chairman The Korea Automobile & Mobility Association (KAMA) said it appointed Jung Dae-jin, who previously served as trade vice minister at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, as its 19th chairman at a regular general meeting held on the 25th. Jung is set to take office March 3. His term will run for three years. Jung graduated from Seoul National University with a degree in economics and earned a master’s degree from its Graduate School of Public Administration. He entered public service in 1993 after passing the 37th national civil service exam. He has held a range of posts spanning industrial policy, investment promotion and innovation, including director of the Industrial Technology Information Cooperation Division and the Industrial Economy Policy Division at the former Ministry of Knowledge Economy, and later served at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy as director general for Creative Industry Policy, investment policy chief and head of the Trade Policy Bureau. From 2021 to September 2023, he served as trade vice minister. KAMA said Jung is well suited to lead the association amid protectionist trends in major markets such as the United States and the European Union, citing his broad understanding of the auto industry and trade policy. It said it expects his leadership to pursue both continuity and innovation, strengthening the competitiveness of South Korea’s auto industry and supporting the shift to future mobility. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-25 13:54:06