Ssangyong Motor Appoints Choi Johng-sik as New CEO

Ssangyong Motor has appointed the head of its Sales Planning Division, Vice President Choi Johng-sik, as its new CEO.

Before joining the company, Choi served as head of the export division and Executive Vice President of North America at Hyundai Motor. He also served as President at China’s Huatai Automobile Group, and then at the Chinese unit of Korean piano maker Young Chang.  

Considering this year as the first year of the global network completion, Choi will focus on overseas marketing. 

Choi should also find a solution for Russia, the largest export market of the company, experiencing a plunge in sales due to the economic recession. 

As Ssangyong’s new Tivoli compact crossover SUV, which was released in January, is receiving positive consumer response, he is planning to bolster sales power more actively.  

In particular, one of the issues he has to resolve is to negotiate and build trust with fired workers, which has been a thorny problem for a long time. 

Choi will make his first debut in the Shanghai Motor Show, which will be held on April 20. Ssangyong will unveil its main Tivoli model and make inroads into the Chinese market.