Hyundai Vice Chairman Jang Jae-hoon Receives Gold Tower Industrial Medal

Jang Jae-hoon, Vice Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, announced investment plans for the Saemangeum future strategy project at a ceremony attended by President Lee Jae-myung on February 27 at the Saemangeum Convention Center in Gunsan, Jeollabuk-do. [Photo=Yonhap News]

Jang Jae-hoon, Vice Chairman of Hyundai Motor, has been awarded the Gold Tower Industrial Medal for his leadership in transitioning to future vehicles through significant domestic investments and securing key technologies.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy presented the awards during the 23rd annual Automotive Day ceremony held at the JW Marriott Hotel in Seoul on May 12. The event was attended by over 300 industry representatives, including Deputy Minister Moon Shin-hak, Korea Automobile Mobility Industry Association President Jung Dae-jin, Korea Automobile Industry Cooperative Chairman Lee Taek-seong, and Jang Jae-hoon.

This year’s Automotive Day event commemorated the 50th anniversary of the Pony's export and last year's record-high export performance, marking the first Gold Tower Industrial Medal awarded since 2007.

Jang was recognized for leading a historic 125 trillion won investment aimed at enhancing competitiveness in core future industries and revitalizing the mobility industry ecosystem. His efforts to establish and expand electric vehicle manufacturing plants in key locations such as Ulsan and Gwangyang also contributed to local economic development and job creation.

The Silver Tower Industrial Medal was awarded to Ham Seong-sik, CEO of MR Infra Auto, for being the first in South Korea to apply fine blanking technology for precision cutting and processing of metal sheets in automotive parts production. The Bronze Tower Industrial Medal went to Hwang Gi-young, CEO of KG Mobility, for pioneering new overseas markets, particularly in Turkey and Dubai, focusing on eco-friendly SUVs.

Other recipients of industrial commendations included Lee Jong-ha, Executive Director of Hyundai Mobis; Kim Hyun-cheol, Research Fellow at the Korea Automotive Technology Institute; Jang Gil-jae, Executive Director of GM Korea; and Min Seung-jae, a professor at Hanyang University.

Deputy Minister Moon Shin-hak emphasized the need to maintain domestic automobile production above 4 million units and to proactively prepare for a rapid transition to future vehicles. He stated that the ministry would focus its policy efforts on ensuring the existing internal combustion engine parts ecosystem remains robust in the future vehicle market by establishing an 'Automotive Ecosystem Transition Council' and developing comprehensive support measures for the transition.

* This article has been translated by AI.

Kim SeongSeo