Most Popular
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1 in 3 Koreans live alone, family types becoming diverse
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Korea, Japan finance chiefs vow to tame rampant FX market volatility
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US 'incredibly concerned' about suspected NK-Iran military ties
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K-pop group's manager dismissed for setting up spycam in theater dressing room
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K-pop singer lost consciousness after being hit by foul ball, cancels show
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Korean Muslim YouTuber's plan to build mosque in Incheon goes viral
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[Kim Seong-kon] Democracy and the future of South Korea
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Why is Apple Pay struggling to get purchase in Korea?
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Yoon's office denies considering liberal figures for key posts
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Seoul says Fu Bao loan 'not going to happen'
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Little big heroes
When BMW Korea unveiled the second-generation 1 Series in October, CEO Kim Hyo-joon pinned high hopes on the smallest and cheapest BMW model for further growth of the best-selling foreign car brand here. Now two months later, local customers are required to wait for at least four months to purchase the car, according to a BMW Korea spokesperson who would not reveal the specific sales figures, citing company policy.“The 1 Series is favored by younger customers. But it is also true that overall ca
Dec. 9, 2012
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Japanese dealerships in China retrench in wake of disputes
Three months after a territorial dispute led rioters to vandalize Japanese cars in China, automakers from Toyota Motor Corp. to Nissan Motor Co. are luring back buyers with discounts and guarantees. Dealers like William Chen may take more persuasion to invest in the brands. “Sales of Japanese brands plunged about a third at my outlets,” said Chen, whose family owns about 30 showrooms selling Nissan and nine other brands in the eastern city of Taizhou. “I would prefer safer brands over Japanese o
Dec. 9, 2012
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Equus wins U.S. value award
Hyundai Motor’s Equus took first place in the luxury car segment in the 16th annual Strategic Vision Total Value Awards in the United States.“Our flagship sedan Equus beat out competitors such as the Mercedes-Benz CLS, the Audi A8 and the Jaguar XJ,” the company said in a statement Sunday.While Strategic Vision’s Total Value Index reflects all aspects of perceived value ― from quality, to economics to customer appeal ― the Equus also received the award for Best Model and the automaker’s Sonata s
Dec. 9, 2012
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Audi Volkswagen Korea names new chief
Audi Volkswagen Korea said Monday that it has named Johannes Thammer as the new Korean representative of Volkswagen Group, seller of the Audi, Volkswagen and Bentley brands. He will also have the role of managing director of Audi Korea, while Park Dong-hoon remains managing director of Volkswagen Korea, said the Korean unit of the German carmaker. Thammer, born in Germany in 1955, is an automobile expert with more than 30 years of extensive experience ranging from product control to marketing, b
Dec. 3, 2012
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Rolls-Royce cars plans expansion as wealth spreads
Rolls-Royce, the ultra-luxury car brand owned by Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, plans to increase outlets by 14 percent within five years as it chases growing numbers of wealthy customers. Rolls-Royce targets expanding the number of dealers to 120 from 105 to reach millionaires in markets like Chile, Thailand and Vietnam. Unfazed by Europe’s debt crisis, the Goodwood, England-based carmaker expects the updated version of its $380,000 Phantom sedan will help it reach a second consecutive sales rec
Dec. 2, 2012
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Taking the big cat for a stroll
The Korea Herald, in cooperation with carmakers, offers a test-driving experience to executive officials at Korean or multinational companies here. The opinion above is the author’s own. For any inquiry into this column, please contact jylee@heraldcorp.com. ― Ed.There’s nothing like a cat. Graceful, intuitive, powerful and proud ― the cat I am describing is the new Jaguar XJ, a 5.0-liter V8 luxury car that I had the pleasure of experiencing both as a passenger and as a driver for three days.My f
Dec. 2, 2012
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Hyundai Motor grapples to satisfy BRIC tastes
Hyundai Motor is considering diversifying its localized model lineup in a bid to secure its position in the fast growing BRIC market, company officials said.Over the past several years, the company has prioritized expanding the production capacity of its assembly lines in China, Russia and India.Along with the completion of its Brazilian factory this year, Hyundai Motor plans to more profoundly reflect locals’ design tastes and customer needs in the four countries.The company is reportedly consi
Dec. 2, 2012
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Toyota leads Japanese auto firms in cutting China output
Toyota Motor Corp. production in China fell the most in at least a decade, leading a slump for Japanese automakers, after a sovereignty dispute over uninhabited islets triggered demonstrations and deterred buyers. Japan’s biggest carmaker said today China output in October tumbled 61 percent to 30,591 units in October. Nissan Motor Co. reported production fell 44 percent last month, the biggest decline based on company data stretching back to 2009, and Honda Motor Co. said output tumbled 54 perc
Dec. 2, 2012
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Kia’s pro cee’d receives iF design award
Kia Motors said on Friday that it received the prestigious iF design award for its three-door coupe pro cee’d.The company said the compact car won in the “Transportation Design” category.Company officials said the award proved that the car, to be sold in the second half of next year, was recognized globally for its outstanding design. The accolade is the fifth iF design award for Kia. “We are very proud to receive this iF product design award for the pro cee’d, which we owe in particular to our
Nov. 30, 2012
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Hyundai, Kia unveil new cars at L.A. motor show
South Korean automakers Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp. said Thursday that they have premiered a new concept car and showcased new models at a U.S. auto show in a bid to strengthen their presence in the world’s second-biggest market.Hyundai said it unveiled its Veloster C3 concept for the first time at the 2012 Los Angeles International Auto Show that runs through Dec. 9.The new Veloster concept is a three-door convertible with Hyundai’s gamma 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline direct inject
Nov. 29, 2012
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BMW Korea to nurture future scientists
BMW Korea unveiled Thursday a new program aimed at offering science education to children and nurturing their dreams. The Junior Campus program will start next month, benchmarking one of the programs of BMW Group’s Welt, a multi-functional customer experience and exhibition facility in Munich. BMW Korea Future Fund, the first social contribution organization set up by a foreign carmaker here, will be responsible for operating the program. It is the first time the BMW program will be carried out
Nov. 29, 2012
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Apple adds more Samsung devices to patent suit
Apple Inc. filed another lawsuit against Samsung Electronics Co. for patent infringement on the South Korean tech titan’s six latest mobile products, amid a series of ongoing legal tug-of-war between the two global IT companies, a German patent blog said Sunday. The Cupertino, California-based U.S. firm sued the Korea company on Friday at the U.S. Northern District Court of California for violating its patents with four smartphone models ― Galaxy Note 2, Galaxy S3 Mini, Galaxy S3 and Rugby Pro ―
Nov. 25, 2012
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GM to produce turbocharged engines for small SUVs in Korea
GM Korea said that the company would make a new investment worth about 100 billion won ($92 million) in its Bupyeong engine plant in Incheon to produce the next-generation four-cylinder turbocharged engines. The new engines will be introduced in the first half of next year for GM Korea’s new small sport utility vehicle Chevrolet Trax and then other Chevy brand smaller cars, said the Korean unit of U.S.-based General Motors. The more fuel-efficient turbocharged gasoline engines have thus far been
Nov. 25, 2012
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Ssangyong seeks to diversify export markets
Ssangyong Motor said Sunday that it had mapped out strategies to diversify export targets within five years, while more than half of its export-oriented vehicles are shipped to Russia and Latin America.Currently, Russia accounts for 32 percent of the automaker’s export destinations, followed by South & Central American countries with 26 percent.In coordination with its majority shareholder Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., the company said it planned to push ahead with tapping new markets.“By 2016, when
Nov. 25, 2012
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Carmakers turn to TV drama for killer promotions
Kia Motors’ K7 sedan was once called “Lee Byung-hun’s car” after the Korean Wave heartthrob drove the car in the several chase scenes of the 2009 hit spy thriller “IRIS.”Company officials would not offer the specific sales data on the drama sponsorship. But during the eight months after the drama ended, the K7 topped the nation’s large sedan segment sales, outperforming Hyundai Motor’s steady-seller Grandeur. Unveiling the facelift version of the K7 recently, the carmaker, an affiliate of Hyunda
Nov. 25, 2012
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BMW, Mercedes, Audi widen target market
Germany’s three premium automobile brands are targeting the middle-income bracket and young consumers in Korea, following the outstanding growth in their sales of upper segment sedans.While the small segment import car market has been dominated by cars like the Volkswagen Golf, the MINI series and the Nissan Cube, the three brands ― BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi ― are poised to join the cheaper car sales competition.BMW Group Korea started the war among the big three by recently introducing the se
Nov. 22, 2012
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Fiat faces Brazil challenge as Hyundai threatens profit
Fiat SpA and Volkswagen AG have dominated Brazilian auto sales for years, holding the top two spots. Now, General Motors Co. and Asian rivals are gaining share in a market the European carmakers had been counting on to offset weak demand in their home region.Brazilian auto production capacity will jump 50 percent by 2014 as South Korea’s Hyundai Motor Co. and other carmakers ramp up new factories, according to Brazilian supplier organization Sindipecas. The added potential output, which comes as
Nov. 18, 2012
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Hyundai-Kia’s market share hits new high this year
Hyundai and Kia brands’ global market share posted a record high in the first three quarters this year, a market research firm said Sunday. According to the U.S.-based JD Power, the nation’s top two carmakers, both owned by Hyundai Motor Group, saw their combined market share reach 8.6 percent this year, up 0.1 percent from the same period last year. Hyundai Motor sold about 3.21 million cars to claim 5.3 percent of global car market, while Kia Motors made up 3.3 percent, selling 2.03 million ca
Nov. 18, 2012
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Hyundai Motor seeks hybrid cars’ EU market debut
Hyundai Motor Group is mapping out strategies to export hybrid cars to Europe or roll out the fuel-efficient models at its manufacturing factories in the Czech Republic and Slovakia.Its project to advance to the European market reflects group chairman Chung Mong-koo’s instruction to drastically improve the annual production capacity for hybrid vehicles and diversify export destinations.Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors’ hybrid models, which use two or more distinct power sources, are currently being
Nov. 18, 2012
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BMW widens its luxury-car sales lead after Oct. gain
Bayerische Motoren Werke AG widened its lead in luxury-car sales last month as demand for the 1- Series and X1 compact models helped it outpace gains by German rivals Audi AG and Daimler AG’s Mercedes-Benz. BMW-brand deliveries increased 15 percent to 132,823 cars and sport-utility vehicles in October, the Munich-based manufacturer said in a statement. That compares with growth of 14 percent to 123,600 deliveries at Audi and 6 percent to 109,632 vehicles at Mercedes. Even with the debt crisis de
Nov. 11, 2012