Hyundai Motor Group chairman Chung Mong-koo on Monday left for Europe to visit the Hyundai and Kia factories there and the group’s regional headquarters in Frankfurt.

According to the group, Chung is scheduled to inspect product quality at Hyundai Motor’s Russia and Czech factories and Kia Motors’ Slovakia plant. Then he plans to be briefed on European sales strategy at the German head office, group officials said.

Chung’s trip comes after a meeting with the auto giant’s regional chiefs in Seoul in July, during which he ordered them to shore up production and sales policies in overseas markets in response to a possible sales slowdown in the coming months.

He also plans to discuss ways to renew Hyundai-Kia’s brand awareness that the carmaker believes has been undervalued especially in Europe despite their progress in product quality.

(jylee@heraldcorp.com)