The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport (MOLIT) announced that a voluntary recall will start for about 40,000 vehicles from Hyundai Motor Company, Mercedes-Benz Korea, BMW Korea, Honda Korea, and Man Truck Bus Korea for manufacturing defects.According to MOLIT on Feb. 8, 18,664 Hyundai K
On Feb. 7, Bloomberg reported that Tesla sold only one unit of the Model Y in Korea in January, citing Korean market research firm CarIsYou and government data.The growth of the electric vehicle market in Korea slowed as high interest rates and inflation have kept consumers from spending, while conc
Partnerships are on the uptick between North America’s No. 1 automaker General Motors (GM) and Korean companies. They started with electric vehicle batteries and are now expanding to battery materials and electronics and semiconductors.GM Chairwoman Mary Barra, who made her first visit to Korea on F
The domestic copper foil industry is strategically increasing investments in North America and Europe, aiming to gain a competitive advantage over China, which is launching a low-cost offensive in the medium to long term.As of Feb. 7, industry sources indicate that Lotte Advanced Materials plans to
LG Chem has signed a massive cathode material supply contract worth 25 trillion won with General Motors (GM). With the U.S. Tennessee cathode material plant at its core, LG Chem plans to strengthen its cooperation in the North American market alongside GM.LG Chem announced on Feb. 7 that it had sign
Despite a slowdown in the growth of electric vehicles, it was revealed that the usage of electric vehicle batteries increased by 38.6 percent last year compared a year earlier. Chinese companies CATL and BYD jointly secured the top two positions in the global market. The market share of South Korea’
Korea’s current account surplus reached US$35.5 billion in 2023. This was mainly because the volume of goods exports reaching a yearly high at the end of 2023.The current account surplus stood at US$7.41 billion in December, according to a December 2023 provisional balance of payments data released
Hyundai Rotem’s U.S. subsidiary has won an electric vehicle supply order. The company announced on Feb. 6 that Hyundai Rotem USA was selected as the final bidder for the LA Metro electric train supply project ordered by the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The business is va
Korean carmakers and car importers are in a flurry of activity as the Korean Ministry of Environment laid out a plan on Feb. 6 to change subsidies for electric vehicles (EVs) in 2024. According to the revised plan, Hyundai and Kia will remain at the same level, while mid-sized Korean-based carmakers
KG Mobility, once a perennially loss-making company, has returned to profitability last year, driven by increased exports to Europe and Latin America.According to industry and securities market sources on Feb. 6, KG Mobility’s operating income for last year is estimated to be around 5 billion won. T
SK innovation reported on Feb. 6 that its revenue for the last year amounted to 77.2885 trillion won (US$58.2400 billion) with an operating profit of 1.9039 trillion won. Compared to the previous year, revenue and operating profit decreased by 0.98% and 51%, respectively.In the fourth quarter of las
The global leading automotive company Toyota, which has been embroiled in a “quality certification fraud” scandal, announced a record-breaking net profit of 4.5 trillion yen, equivalent to 40.2 trillion won or US$30.28 billion, for the fiscal year 2023, spanning from April 2023 to March 2024. The pr
For the third year in a row since 2020, HL Mando changed the first digit of its annual sales figure, ushering in the era of 8 trillion won in sales.HL Mando announced on Feb. 5 that its sales increased 11.7 percent from the previous year to 8.3930 trillion won (US$6.3255 billion) and its operating p
LS Electric announced on Feb. 5 that it has held a completion ceremony for the Durango factory in Mexico of its electric vehicle component subsidiary, LS e-Mobility Solution.The ceremony was attended by about 50 key figures, including Koo Ja-kyun, chairman of LS Electric; Kim Won-il, representative
Domestic defense companies such as LIG Nex1, Hyundai Rotem, and Hanwha Aerospace are mobilizing to participate in the Saudi International Defense Exhibition held in Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia, until Feb. 8, aiming to penetrate the Middle Eastern market.According to the defense industry on F
The South Korean battery industry, on the brink of achieving an annual export milestone of US$10 billion, has seen a slowdown in its growth momentum. This deceleration is attributed to a reduction in battery demand due to a slowdown in electric vehicle (EV) demand, along with the relocation of produ
Hanwha Group is showcasing its cutting-edge aviation technology, including fighter jet engines, to countries in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia.Hanwha Aerospace, Hanwha Systems, and Hanwha Ocean, the defense affiliates of Hanwha Group, announced their participation in the World Defence Show
The defense affiliates of Hanwha Group, including Hanwha Aerospace, Hanwha Systems, and Hanwha Ocean, will be participating in the World Defense Show 2024 (WDS 2024), held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia from 4th to 8th Feb. With geopolitical crises increasing security demands in key Middle East regions, Ha
U.S.-based Aptiv, Hyundai Motor Group’s partner in autonomous driving technology development, will stop funding for its joint venture with the Korean automaker Motional. After six years of preparations, the company’s commercialization of unmanned autonomous taxis (robotaxis) has been delayed and its
Italian supercar brand Lamborghini sold more cars in South Korea than in its home country of Italy in 2023.Lamborghini, which celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2023, sold 10,112 units globally, up 10 percent from the previous year, the company said on Jan. 31. This was the first time Lamborghini ha