Hyundai Motor CEO reaffirms US investment, says Georgia plant to create 40,000 jobs

Hyundai Motor Company CEO Jose Munoz reaffirmed the automaker’s long-term investment commitment and signaled confidence in its Georgia operations during a visit to the state, despite recent controversy over the detention of hundreds of South Korean workers at a Georgia construction site.

In an interview with the Atlanta Business Chronicle published Saturday, Munoz said Hyundai’s previously announced $26 billion US investment over the next four years is still on track. Of that amount, $2.7 billion is allocated to Georgia, in addition to the $12.6 billion investment already pledged for Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, the carmaker’s newest auto manufacturing site in Ellabel, Georgia, and related facilities.

HMGMA is expected to begin producing hybrid vehicles in 2026, expanding beyond its original focus on electric vehicles. As production ramps up, Hyundai plans to continue hiring until the facility reaches full capacity, Munoz added.

The company’s investments in Georgia are expected to generate about 40,000 direct and indirect jobs, he said.

“We're going to increase production capacity in Georgia, beyond what we have already announced, and all the multiple projects on different fronts, including robotics, AI, et cetera,” Munoz was quoted as saying. “At the same time, we're taking actions to remain competitive, to optimize our cost, not only localizing production, but also localizing our supply chain.”

Munoz also addressed the recent reduction of US tariffs on imported Korean cars, from 25 percent to 15 percent, stressing that the most effective way to tackle tariff challenges "is very simple. It’s localization.”

His remarks came after US immigration authorities detained more than 300 South Korean workers on Sept. 4 at the construction site of a Hyundai Motor Group and LG Energy Solution joint battery plant in Georgia. Following diplomatic talks, the workers were released and returned home after roughly a week. The incident sparked public anger in Korea over the treatment of workers.

Munoz was in Georgia Saturday to receive an honorary doctor of philosophy from Georgia Tech University, where he also delivered a commencement address.