Journalist

Han Ji-hyun
  • Hyundai Motor Names Kim Gi-yang Top Passenger-Car Seller for 2025 With 382 Vehicles
    Hyundai Motor Names Kim Gi-yang Top Passenger-Car Seller for 2025 With 382 Vehicles Hyundai Motor said Thursday it has released its list of top sales performers for last year, naming 10 passenger-vehicle and three commercial-vehicle winners. Kim Gi-yang, a 57-year-old sales director at the company’s Daejeon branch, was the top passenger-vehicle seller nationwide. Kim sold 382 vehicles last year, ranking No. 1 in Hyundai’s passenger-vehicle sales for the fifth straight year. He joined Hyundai in October 1991 and has sold a cumulative 6,948 vehicles through last year. “Today’s result was possible because of trust with customers and consistent communication,” Kim said. “This year, I will move with greater care, work with more depth and continue to do my best with sincerity.” The passenger-vehicle top 10 also included Lee Jeong Ho of the Seongdong branch (368 vehicles), Choi Jin Seong of the Seodaemun Jungang branch (328), Kwon Gil Ju of the Suwon branch (325), Kwon Yun Hyeong of the Seocho Nambu branch (247), Kim Yeong Hwan of the Banpo branch (230), Park Jong Cheol of the Jungnang branch (205), Choi U Hyeok of the Yeouido branch (202), Kwon Yeong Ho of the Daecheon branch (199) and Lee Seok I of the Cheonan City Hall branch (197). The top three commercial-vehicle sellers were Choi Geun Min of the Ulsan Truck branch (201), Song Jae Yeol of the Gyeonggi Truck branch (172) and Kim Yun Gu of the Daegu Truck branch (158). Hyundai said it runs multiple recognition programs to boost morale, including its nationwide top sales selection, the “The Class Awards” and an honorary sales awards system. The nationwide top sales selection and The Class Awards recognize annual top performers. The nationwide program honors top sellers across the country, while The Class Awards divide annual sales totals into ranges and reward winners in each range. Under the honorary sales awards system, employees earn titles and prizes based on cumulative sales in passenger and commercial vehicles: “Sales Master” at 2,000/1,000 vehicles, “Sales Grand Master” at 3,000/1,500, “Sales Expert” at 4,000/2,000 and “Sales Legend” at 5,000/2,500. A Hyundai official said the company will keep pursuing innovation this year to deliver “customer satisfaction” as industry paradigms continue to change. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-12 10:21:00
  • Hanwha Aerospace Breaks Ground on Romania Plant to Build K9 Howitzers
    Hanwha Aerospace Breaks Ground on Romania Plant to Build K9 Howitzers Hanwha Aerospace said Tuesday it has broken ground in Romania on a local plant, dubbed H-ACE Europe, to produce K9 self-propelled howitzers and K10 armored ammunition resupply vehicles. The company said the new facility is intended to establish a European base for local production of its ground systems and strengthen Romania’s and Europe’s defense supply chains. A groundbreaking ceremony in Petresti, Dambovita County, was attended by Lee Yong-cheol, head of South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration; Marius Gabriel Lazurca, presidential adviser for national security and foreign policy; Deputy Prime Minister Barna Tanczos; Economy Minister Ambrozie-Irineu Darau; and Corneliu Stefan, chairman of the Dambovita County Council, the company said. Hanwha said H-ACE Europe will serve as a key hub for local production of the K9 and K10 and will support the full life cycle, including assembly, integration, testing and maintenance, repair and overhaul. It aims to raise localization to as much as 80% through Romanian industrial participation. The site in Petresti will be built on about 181,055 square meters and is planned to include advanced assembly lines, performance and verification test facilities, and a 1,751-meter driving test track, Hanwha said. The company said it plans to expand the facility’s capabilities in stages so it can develop into a regional hub that can also produce and support advanced ground systems such as infantry fighting vehicles, long-range precision strike systems and unmanned ground vehicles. Hanwha said it will strengthen cooperation with Romanian partners during operations, expanding collaboration to more than 30 local companies and supporting Romanian firms’ entry into global supply chains. In July 2024, Hanwha Aerospace signed a contract with Romania to supply 54 K9 howitzers and 36 K10 vehicles. Romania became the 10th member of the K9 User Club and the sixth NATO member to operate the K9, the company said. “By building a local production base in Romania, we will respond steadily to Romania’s defense modernization needs and contribute to expanded industrial cooperation and the local economy,” a Hanwha Aerospace official said.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-11 20:54:00
  • Aekyung Group targets turnaround with financial overhaul at Jeju Air, AK Plaza and chemicals unit
    Aekyung Group targets turnaround with financial overhaul at Jeju Air, AK Plaza and chemicals unit Aekyung Group is pushing a high-intensity financial overhaul across its core airline, retail and chemical units as it seeks a new growth phase. Jeju Air returned to profit five quarters after the third quarter of 2024, and retailer AK Plaza also swung back to the black after aggressive efficiency measures. The group is also betting on new businesses, including sodium batteries, to drive future growth. Industry officials said Feb. 11 that Aekyung’s key affiliates have shown clearer signs of recovery since last year. Jeju Air reported fourth-quarter revenue of 474.6 billion won, up 5.4% from a year earlier, and operating profit of 18.6 billion won, returning to the black, according to filings with South Korea’s Financial Supervisory Service. The carrier improved its cost structure despite a tough environment marked by a weak won and oversupply among low-cost carriers, aided by introducing more efficient next-generation aircraft and cutting fixed costs, officials said. Jeju Air added two new Boeing 737-8 aircraft in the fourth quarter, lowering the fleet’s average age and cutting fuel costs 19% from the same period a year earlier. It also improved efficiency by increasing short-haul flights, including routes to Japan and China. From the first quarter, the company expects profitability to gain momentum on the back of seven additional new aircraft, productivity gains from an AI transition and rising passenger demand. South Korea’s aviation information portal said Jeju Air carried 1.176 million passengers in January, up 33.5% from a year earlier. AK Plaza’s restructuring is also taking hold. The company strengthened competitiveness at key stores, including Bundang and Suwon, and improved profitability through merchandise revamps. As a result, AK Plaza posted operating profit of 14.8 billion won last year, returning to the black for the first time in two years. “We improved profitability by strengthening our core business and boosting operating efficiency across marketing and customer programs,” a company official said. The official added that the Bundang store expects demand to shift in its trade area this year as competition eases following the closure of a nearby department store’s operations. Aekyung Chemical is focusing on longer-term growth engines such as super fiber and secondary batteries. Starting in March, it will begin mass production of TPC, a raw material for aramid super fiber that had been fully imported, after completing a domestic production facility with annual capacity of 15,000 tons. The company plans to expand output in stages as the aramid market grows and demand for TPC increases. Progress is also emerging in its hard carbon business for anode materials used in secondary batteries. The company has developed biomass-based hard carbon for sodium-ion batteries and has continued to improve performance. It is expanding capacity at its Jeonju plant to 1,300 tons a year to support a customer’s large-scale pilot tests, and it plans to scale up in stages to 20,000 tons to match market demand. Aekyung Chemical also strengthened its global production network by acquiring a surfactant manufacturing plant in Indonesia. It is operating market-specific strategies based on a production system linking its Cheongyang plant in South Korea with facilities in Vietnam and Indonesia. The company expects higher utilization and improved profitability at its Vietnam plant this year as the Vietnamese government plans a large national project, the report said. An Aekyung Group official said Jeju Air and the retail business have entered a recovery phase through intensive restructuring and efficiency efforts, while Aekyung Chemical is building a technology base for future growth. The official said the group will accelerate growth by securing financial stability, selling noncore assets including ThermeDen, responding to changes in the aviation market and expanding new chemical businesses.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-11 18:03:00
  • Renault Korea Joins Busan Local-Purchasing Event as City Pledges to Buy 10 Vehicles
    Renault Korea Joins Busan Local-Purchasing Event as City Pledges to Buy 10 Vehicles Renault Korea said it attended Busan’s “local products priority purchasing” event at BEXCO on Feb. 10 as a recognized outstanding company in the Busan region. The event was held as part of a business agreement in which Busan and about 140 organizations — including government and public agencies and economic groups — are working to expand purchases of locally made products. Busan said it aims to generate about 2 trillion won in added value through the effort. At the event, Busan formalized its intent to strengthen cooperation with local manufacturers by signing a letter of intent to purchase 10 Renault Korea vehicles. Renault Korea displayed the mid-size SUV Grand Koleos, produced at its Busan plant, highlighting its local production base and commitment to shared growth. Renault Korea has been regarded as a key manufacturer in Busan and has contributed to the local economy, the company said. In January last year, it updated production facilities at the Busan plant to build a future-vehicle production hub. At the “Global Corporate Investment Partnership” event during the APEC CEO Summit Korea 2025 in October, it pledged additional equipment investment to produce electric vehicles at the Busan plant. In December, it met with Busan officials and said it would strengthen cooperation with local parts suppliers. The company also said it is supporting training for future-vehicle talent in Busan by expanding industry-academia cooperation with major local universities, including Pusan National University and Dong-A University. It has also signed public-private-academic agreements with Busan, local universities and research institutes to help build a future-vehicle industry ecosystem and support regional cooperation and hiring, it said. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-11 10:00:00
  • MINI Global EV Sales Top 100,000, Up 88% From a Year Earlier
    MINI Global EV Sales Top 100,000, Up 88% From a Year Earlier MINI said Tuesday it sold 105,535 battery-electric vehicles worldwide last year. The total was more than one-third of MINI’s overall sales of 288,290 vehicles for the year and marked an increase of about 88% from the previous year. In South Korea, MINI is also accelerating its shift to electrification. MINI Korea sold 1,889 BEVs last year, about 24% of its total sales of 7,990 vehicles. That means about one in four MINIs sold domestically was an electric vehicle. MINI Korea officially launched three models in the all-electric MINI family in March last year and introduced BEV versions across the brand’s lineup, including the MINI Cooper, Aceman and Countryman. MINI Korea said EV purchase subsidies increased sharply this year, helped by BMW Group Korea’s expansion of charging infrastructure. For national subsidies, the all-electric MINI Aceman was set at 4 million won for all trims, up 940,000 won from last year. With local government subsidies added, buyers can receive up to 9.5 million won (based on Haenam County, South Jeolla Province). The all-electric MINI Cooper SE was also finalized at 3.96 million won, up 930,000 won from last year. With local subsidies included, it can total up to 9.15 million won (based on Haenam County, South Jeolla Province). Separately, the all-electric MINI Cooper was named the “2025 safest city small car” based on results from tests conducted last year by Euro NCAP, Europe’s new-car safety assessment program, recognizing top-tier safety in its class. Euro NCAP said the all-electric MINI Cooper earned strong ratings across its four categories: adult occupant protection, child occupant protection, protection of vulnerable road users such as pedestrians and cyclists, and safety assist systems. MINI said the results showed top-level safety across all trims, from the SE to the JCW.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-11 09:39:28
  • Jin Air to Launch New Routes From Busan to Taichung and Miyakojima, Jeju to Hong Kong
    Jin Air to Launch New Routes From Busan to Taichung and Miyakojima, Jeju to Hong Kong Jin Air said Tuesday it will launch three new international routes from Gimhae and Jeju airports, linking South Korea with Taiwan, Japan and Hong Kong. Starting March 30, the airline will operate the Busan-Taichung route five times a week on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Flights will depart Gimhae Airport at 1:35 p.m. and arrive at 3 p.m. local time, with a flight time of about 2 hours, 25 minutes. Taichung, whose name means “center of Taiwan,” is known for modern art and traditional food, including bubble tea and brown sugar milk tea. It is about an hour by train from Taipei, allowing multi-city trips when paired with the existing Busan-Taipei route. Starting April 2, Jin Air will open the Yeongnam region’s first direct service to Miyakojima, operating twice a week on Thursday and Sunday. Departing Busan at 2:45 p.m., the flight will take about 2 hours, 15 minutes, reducing the need for connections via Okinawa and other stops. Miyakojima lies about 300 kilometers southwest of Okinawa’s main island and is known among Japanese travelers as a sought-after resort destination. The island is also home to the Irabu Bridge, Japan’s longest toll-free bridge, at 3,540 meters. Also on April 2, Jin Air will begin daily service on the Jeju-Hong Kong route, operating seven times a week. Flights will depart Jeju at 9:30 p.m., and depart Hong Kong at 2 a.m. local time the next day. Flight time is about three hours. Tickets for the Busan-Taichung, Busan-Miyakojima and Jeju-Hong Kong routes are available on the Jin Air website. The airline said it will continue to provide its standard 15-kilogram free checked-baggage allowance. Jin Air said travelers will be able to choose among “Taiwan’s diverse arts, Japan’s exotic seas and Hong Kong’s glittering city,” adding that it hopes customers plan spring trips with “a relaxed schedule and reasonable fares.”* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-11 09:24:14
  • Tesla and BYD Close In on BMW and Mercedes as South Korea’s Imported-Car Market Heats Up
    Tesla and BYD Close In on BMW and Mercedes as South Korea’s Imported-Car Market Heats Up South Korea’s imported-car market is posting strong growth early this year despite headwinds such as a weak won and the usual seasonal slowdown. The long-dominant BMW-Mercedes-Benz “two-top” structure — which at one point neared a 70% market share — is weakening as newer challengers close in, intensifying the fight for positions No. 3 through No. 5. The Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association said Monday that new registrations of imported cars totaled 20,960 in January, up 37.6% from 15,229 a year earlier. January is typically considered an off-season because year-end promotions end, discounts shrink and new-model lineups can be thin. Even so, January sales were the highest for the month in five years, since January 2022 (17,361). Competition is tightening. BMW and Mercedes-Benz, which together accounted for about 70% of the market last year, saw their combined share shrink to the 50% range this year, while EV brands such as Tesla and BYD newly entered the top five. BMW ranked No. 1 in January with 6,270 new registrations, up 5.2% from 5,960 a year earlier. Gasoline-powered models led the results, including the 5 Series (1,951), X3 (689), X5 (602) and 3 Series (568). BMW’s market share, however, fell about 10 percentage points to 29.9% from 39.1% a year earlier. Mercedes-Benz was No. 2 with 5,121 vehicles sold, up 35.1% from 3,790 a year earlier, driven by core models including the E200 (1,207) and E300 4MATIC (782). Tesla placed third with 1,966 vehicles sold. The Model Y (1,134) and Model X (160) helped lift its market share to 9.4% from 0.03% a year earlier. Tesla has been pushing to expand share this year with aggressive pricing, cutting prices for models such as the Model Y and Model 3 by 3 million to more than 5 million won. The race from fourth to sixth is also close. Lexus ranked fourth with 1,464 vehicles, followed by BYD in fifth with 1,347 — just 117 behind Lexus — and Volvo in sixth with 1,037. BYD, citing strong price competitiveness and a rapid new-model rollout, reached fifth place with a 6.4% share just one year after entering the South Korean market. An official at an imported-car company said “three factors” are reshaping the market: value-focused competition from Chinese-made EVs, the mainstreaming of eco-friendly vehicles and widening consumer polarization. The official said competition to hold a top-five position will intensify further, with brand rankings shifting on differences of only about 100 to 200 vehicles.* This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-10 18:48:00
  • BYD Korea to Offer Free Vehicle Inspections at 17 Service Centers for Lunar New Year
    BYD Korea to Offer Free Vehicle Inspections at 17 Service Centers for Lunar New Year BYD Korea said Monday it will run a Lunar New Year free inspection campaign to help drivers prepare for holiday travel. The campaign will be held over eight days at 17 BYD Auto service centers nationwide: three days before the holiday (Feb. 11-13) and five days after (Feb. 19-20 and Feb. 23-25). During the campaign, BYD Korea will provide detailed free checks of items important for long-distance driving, including power-battery condition, underbody inspection, the brake system and whether consumable parts need replacement. The inspection takes about 30 minutes, and the company will also offer an in-cabin deodorizing service using a fogging device. All customers who visit a service center during the period will receive a small gift, the company said. “Because the Lunar New Year holiday is a time when long-distance travel is frequent, managing vehicle condition is especially important,” BYD Korea said in a statement. It said the campaign was designed to help customers travel more safely before and after the holiday, adding that it will continue expanding service programs tailored to real-world driving conditions and customer needs. BYD Korea said it plans to build a network of 26 service centers by year’s end to improve service quality. BYD Auto service centers nationwide operate Monday through Friday, and addresses and business hours by center are available on BYD Korea’s official website. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-10 16:24:39
  • FKI Calls for Clearer Breach-of-Trust Standards to Boost Corporate Risk-Taking
    FKI Calls for Clearer Breach-of-Trust Standards to Boost Corporate Risk-Taking South Korea should refine the legal elements of its breach-of-trust crime to encourage entrepreneurship and investment in advanced industries such as artificial intelligence, batteries and biotechnology, a business group said. The Korea Federation of Korean Industries, known as FKI, said it held a seminar in Seoul on Monday at the FKI Tower conference center in Yeouido titled “Problems and Improvement Measures for the Breach-of-Trust Crime.” In opening remarks, FKI Executive Vice Chairman Kim Chang Bum said large-scale investment is needed to secure “future growth engines” in areas including AI, batteries, bio and mobility, but executives are struggling to make bold decisions because of breach-of-trust risks. “Reasonable improvements to the breach-of-trust system are needed to reduce management uncertainty and raise entrepreneurship, the source of innovation,” Kim said. Ahn Tae Jun, a professor at Hanyang University Law School, said the current provision is vague, undermining the criminal law principle of clarity and predictability. He warned that a civil-law breach of duty based on good faith could be treated as a crime, making the scope of liability hard to foresee. Ahn said managers often cannot know in advance whether their actions are criminally prohibited, and they can be punished based only on the “risk of loss” even without actual damage. That could turn failed business judgments into criminal cases and lead to the “criminalization of civil disputes,” weakening executives’ willingness to act, he said. Ahn said South Korea’s approach differs from major countries. Germany does not punish attempted breach of trust and has no aggravated provisions for occupational or special breach of trust, he said. Japan requires a strict subjective element beyond intent, including a purpose of seeking benefit for oneself or a third party or causing loss to the principal. The United States and the United Kingdom have no breach-of-trust statute, and even similar provisions are narrowly applied, he said. To reduce side effects, Ahn proposed creating a business judgment rule that treats reasonable decisions as not violating duty, or otherwise tightening the elements of the offense. Full repeal could also be an option, he said. In a discussion session, speakers also called for limiting criminal intervention in business judgment. Hong Young Ki, deputy dean of Korea University Law School, said breach of trust is the only crime that deprives or infringes another person’s property interests, and called for detailed practical guidelines and strict case-by-case application. Kang Won, a professor of business administration at Sejong University, said when executives are indicted for occupational breach of trust, they inevitably divert resources to self-defense until a final acquittal, which can weaken corporate competitiveness. He called for reforms that minimize criminal intervention in business judgment and clarify the presumption of innocence. Ryu Hyuk Sun, a professor in KAIST’s Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering who holds doctorates in business administration and law, said the vagueness of the provision is expanding criminal liability after the fact. He urged South Korea to reset the boundary between criminal and civil liability, similar to Germany and Japan, where criminal punishment functions as a last resort to supplement civil controls. * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-10 16:21:08
  • Innocean Highlights Purpose-Driven Travel Spots Featured in Global Ad Shoots
    Innocean Highlights Purpose-Driven Travel Spots Featured in Global Ad Shoots Innocean said Tuesday it is recommending “purpose-driven travel” as a key trend ahead of the Lunar New Year holiday and is sharing global destinations it encountered while filming advertising campaigns. According to Innocean’s Data Insight Team, travel is shifting away from simply checking off famous attractions toward experience-based trips that reflect personal tastes and values. The team said travelers are increasingly looking for “great moments” that inspire them, rather than trips focused only on rest or escape. Innocean organized major destinations used in its global campaigns by travel purpose and introduced several locations chosen by advertising professionals. For travelers who want to experience local atmosphere and everyday life beyond major tourist sites, Innocean pointed to Bari and Matera in southern Italy, as well as Cheongnamdae in Cheongju, North Chungcheong Province, South Korea. Bari, a port city, and Matera, known for its cave dwellings, were filming locations for Trip.com’s “Trip Wherever, Worry-Free” campaign. Innocean said the settings preserve local daily life rather than showcasing flashy attractions, and the campaign emphasized that “the essence of travel is ultimately the experience between people.” Cheongnamdae, a key location for the Genesis GV70 “Luxe in Every Touch” campaign, was once a major national facility but has since been reborn as a space shaped by nature and time, Innocean said. Instead of man-made landmarks, forests and scenery formed over the years create its distinctive mood, and Genesis used the site to present a new meaning of luxury as “depth created by time.” For travelers seeking to sharpen their senses in nature, Innocean named Tromso, Norway. Located in the Arctic Circle, Tromso offers views of the aurora amid long darkness and severe cold, creating striking contrasts of light, it said. Innocean said its Genesis GV60 “Take Your Wonder Further” campaign filmed there conveyed that extreme conditions can produce powerful emotion. For those looking for a new experience created by contrasting elements, Innocean recommended Hyundai Motor Group’s Singapore Global Innovation Center, known as HMGICS, and Na Oh, a restaurant inside the center created in collaboration with Michelin three-star chef Corey Lee. Innocean described HMGICS as a space where an auto production facility, a large farm and a restaurant coexist, blending robotics and nature, industry and dining. It said the process of ingredients grown by robots becoming dishes shows a new lifestyle shaped by evolving technology. An Innocean official said the company often found greater inspiration at filming locations while searching for sites for ad production. The official encouraged people to visit the destinations introduced and “make 2026 even more diverse.” * This article has been translated by AI. 2026-02-10 09:54:00