This photo shows Peter van der Vliet (center), Dutch ambassador to South Korea, and Kim Il-bum (right), executive vice president of Hyundai Motor's global policy office, observing an Ioniq 9 model at the automaker's plant in Asan, 107 kilometers south of Seoul, on Tuesday. (Hyundai Motor Co.)
This photo shows Peter van der Vliet (center), Dutch ambassador to South Korea, and Kim Il-bum (right), executive vice president of Hyundai Motor's global policy office, observing an Ioniq 9 model at the automaker's plant in Asan, 107 kilometers south of Seoul, on Tuesday. (Hyundai Motor Co.)

Hyundai Motor Co. said Wednesday its flagship Ioniq 9 electric sport utility vehicle has been selected as an official vehicle for the embassy of the Netherlands in South Korea.

A formal vehicle handover ceremony was held Tuesday at Hyundai Motor's plant in Asan, 107 kilometers south of Seoul, attended by Dutch Ambassador Peter van der Vliet and Kim Il-bum, executive vice president of Hyundai Motor's global policy office.

The embassy will use the Ioniq 9 for official duties and diplomatic events.

The selection marks the first time the Dutch Embassy in Seoul has adopted an electric vehicle as its official car, reflecting the Netherlands' strong commitment to sustainable mobility and advanced EV infrastructure.

Built on Hyundai Motor Group's dedicated EV platform E-GMP, the Ioniq 9 offers a spacious interior, sleek design and class-leading range of 532 kilometers on a single charge with a 110.3 kilowatt-hour battery.

"We are honored that the Ioniq 9 was chosen as the Dutch Embassy's official vehicle," a Hyundai official said. "We hope to see our eco-friendly vehicles play a greater role in global diplomacy." (Yonhap)