Porsche Korea, local unit of the German luxury carmaker, opened a new studio in Gangnam, southern Seoul, on Tuesday, in a bid to appeal better to younger customers.The new retail format introduced by the carmaker is the eight of its kind in the world and has been opened to provide a wide-ranging brand experience, from cars to custom-made accessories. “Porsche Korea will position ‘Porsche Studio Cheongdam’ as a cultural space where existing customers as well as potential cl

Officials, experts and scholars from 46 countries around the world gathered in Songdo, Incheon, on Monday for a five-day international conference on the future of forestry and the challenges that Asia-Pacific as a region faces today.Co-organized by the Korea Forest Service and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, the 28th Session of the Asia-Pacific Forestry Commission and the Asia-Pacific Forestry Week 2019 will discuss the role of forestry in mitigating climate change a

Hyundai Mobis, an auto parts maker under Hyundai Motor Group, said Sunday it has partnered with US high-end home audio systems manufacturer Krell for Kia’s K7 Premier.The partnership is part of Hyundai Mobis’ efforts to collaborate with technology-based companies on autonomous driving and connectivity, aimed at providing premium audio systems for in-vehicle infotainment, it added. The company plans to further its partnership with Krell by deploying the audio systems in new vehicles t

Riding a bike in Seoul has never been easy. With spider web-like tangles of roads teeming with traffic, and pedestrian areas packed with people milling about, talking and running at different speeds, the metropolitan city is still a tough place for a bike ride. Under the city of Seoul’s green transport vision, however, two-wheelers are an increasingly common sight -- and not just as last-mile mobility, but also for recreational use. At unmanned rental hubs located at subway stations a

South Korean SUV maker SsangYong Motor on Tuesday launched the sale of its facelifted Tivoli, a B-segment crossover that has taken the No. 1 spot in the category in recent years. Introduced in 2015, the compact SUV has a new 1.5-liter turbo gasoline engine, a larger digital interface and more body colors, in an effort to lure young drivers looking for their first cars, officials said. SsangYong takes pride in the new gasoline engine, as it was strategically developed to make the Tivoli stronger

The Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the nation’s largest group representing small and large businesses, is hosting an annual photo competition from Monday to Sept. 24. Under the theme of “Businessmen’s Workplace and Life,” panelists will look for photos that capture unexpected scenes at workplaces and people with stories. They expect creative pieces that are high in photographic quality. “Last year, we had a record number of 4,500 applicants, and intere

Asiana Airlines on Saturday hosted a meeting of CEOs from Star Alliance member carriers for the first time in Seoul, to strengthen efforts in elevating the brand value of the world’s largest global airline alliance. The gathering was held on the sidelines of the International Air Transport Association’s annual general meeting in the capital city. Asiana Airlines, South Korea’s second-largest air carrier, has been a member of the alliance since 2003. It has jointly operated mile

Riding on the growing demand for overseas travel and fast expanding cargo volume, South Korea has quickly become a major gateway, handling more than 1,000 aircrafts at Incheon International Airport alone.The airport is the world’s top service provider and the third-largest cargo terminal which processes 800,000 tons of outbound cargo annually. But when it comes to fleet maintenance and repair services, Asia’s top airport is still in its infant stage, said Paik Soon-suk, president and

Hyundai Motor broke ground for a hydrogen refilling station in the middle of the National Assembly complex in Seoul on Thursday, marking the world’s first charging facility for fuel cell electric vehicles to be built at a parliament.It is also the first commercial hydrogen facility to be built in central Seoul, the company said. The project, the first case of the regulatory sandbox, will start operating at the end of August. The hydrogen station will operate from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. I

LEIPZIG, Germany -- Korea is a leader in information technology, which has led its economic growth for the last decade, but when it comes to mobility services -- often touted as the center of a paradigm shift in the “fourth industrial revolution” -- the country faces uncertainty. “It is clear that the world is going through a paradigm shift from manufacturing to mobility services in connection with development of autonomous driving,” said Lee Jae-ho, director of the digit

The corporate social responsibility division of Mercedes-Benz Korea held its fourth annual charity marathon Sunday, saying it hoped to promote a spirit of community sharing and cultivate the philanthropic culture here, the company said Monday.Titled “Give ’n Race,” the annual event was jointly organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government. Around 20,000 runners took part, raising about 920 million won ($776,000) -- the largest amount since the South Korean unit of the German c

LEIPZIG, Germany -- An annual forum of transport ministers around the world wrapped up Friday, strengthening an alliance to create better connectivity for regional prosperity, but leaving questions about developmental imbalance in the sector between advanced and emerging countries.The International Transport Forum, dubbed “the Davos of transport,” brought more than 1,000 government representatives, experts and business leaders from 71 countries to the German city of Leipzig, serving

LEIPZIG, Germany -- Chinese Transport Minister Li Xiaopeng on Thursday said that China is not going to be involved in an inter-Korean railway project, saying it is “their own business.”When asked about China’s role in facilitating the project of reconnecting the railroad between South and North Korea, he said the project should be carried out by both countries, clearly indicating that China won’t be involved.“Reconnecting the railway network between two Koreas is th

LEIPZIG, Germany -- Citing the role of taxis in Korea as a form of quasi-public transport, South Korea’s vice transport minister said Wednesday that he “disagrees” with the idea of global ride-hailing services like Uber and Lyft entering the local market.In an interview with Korean reporters covering the International Transport Forum in German city of Leipzig, Kim Jeong-ryeol, the second vice minister of transport, land and infrastructure, said that the Korean government was wo

LEIPZIG, Germany -- Seeking to set standards to improve transport connectivity around the world and address concerted efforts on decreasing carbon emissions, a three-day forum was kicked off in the German city of Leipzig with more than 1,000 delegates from 70 countries.At the International Transport Forum, dubbed as Davos of Transport, around 40 ministers gathered to discuss a wide range of topics from vehicle-to-vehicle connectivity to new trade routes. South Korea holds the presidency of this

The Korea Herald is publishing a series of interviews with foreign executives at Korean firms on their role and vision for change, growth in the homogenous corporate world. -- Ed.What drove the former BMW executive to take on the heart of the research and development unit of Hyundai Motor four years ago was the strategic vision of the carmaker’s heir and Korean engineers’ ambition for perfection.In an interview with The Korea Herald, Albert Biermann, the head of R&D at Hyundai Mo

South Korean auto giant Hyundai Motor and its sister company Kia Motors invested 106 billion won ($89.23 million) in a Croatian manufacturer of high-performance electric cars, a move to target the emerging high-end market for race cars powered by electricity, the company said Tuesday.Under the partnership with Rimac, Hyundai plans to unveil two prototype models for hypercars next year, one powered by electricity and one by hydrogen. The investment aims to position Hyundai as leader in the global

With advanced manufacturing and export capacities, Renault Samsung Motors in South Korea stands out as strategically important for the global auto giant, with Renault Group’s head for the AMI and Asia-Pacific region, excluding China, coming to the country for a visit soon, according to the firm Thursday. AMI refers to Africa, the Middle East and India. In a video message, Fabrice Cambolive, chairman of Renault’s AMI-APAC headquarters, described Korea as one of the carmaker’s major manufacturing

SEOGWIPO, Jeju Island -- Despite differences in market characteristics and environment, businesses engaged in electric vehicle developments in Southeast Asia can grow together through a concerted effort to build regional partnerships on zero emission cars, experts said Tuesday. At an international conference held on the sidelines of the annual International Electric Vehicle Expo, business representatives, scholars and industry observers highlighted the need for raising voices for more private an

SEOGWIPO, Jeju Island -- As the first and only exhibition entirely on electric vehicles, the International EV Expo kicked off its four-day run in the southern part of Jeju on Wednesday to offer wider business opportunities for small and medium-sized companies seeking to ride the wave of carbon-free evolution.The sixth edition of the expo has opened its doors to up-and-coming companies and is presenting international conferences looking back on the development of electric vehicles and the market