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Park Jin-hai

Korea Times K-Culture Reporter

Park Jin-hai primarily focuses on K-dramas, entertainment shows and actor interviews. Beyond that, she also pens articles covering the broader arts scene, with a particular emphasis on classical music, dance and various aspects of lifestyle. Since joining The Korea Times in 2013, she has made significant contributions in the realms of hallyu (Korean wave), industry news and international affairs.

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Companies

Renault Samsung aims to sell 1,000 EVs

Park Dong-hoon, center, sales chief and vice president of Renault Samsung Motor, speaks ahead of a ceremony to open the International Electric Vehicle Expo on Jeju Island, Friday. / YonhapBy Park Jin-haiRenault Samsung Motor said Friday that it aims to sell 1,000 electric vehicles (EVs) here this year.  “Our annual sales goal for the year is 1,000, about one-third of the amount the government is looking to have people purchase this year,” said Park Dong-hoon, sales chief and vice president of Renault Samsung.He made the remarks ahead of a ceremony to open the International Electric Vehicle Expo on Jeju Island.“Our goal is to become an industry leader in the Korean electric car market,” he added.Renault Samsung's flagship SM3 ZE electric car is the country's No. 2 best-selling EV, after Kia Motors' Soul EV. It sold 309 last year.He said the electric vehicle market in Korea is still limited as people mostly buy them with government subsidies.“The lack of charging stations and the law restricting their installation near apartment buildings should

Mar 6, 2015By Park Jin-hai
Renault Samsung aims to sell 1,000 EVs
Companies

Boral sees huge growth potential in Korean market

Boral CEO Mike Kane speaks during an interview with the Korea Times at USG Boral’s Seoul office in Samseong, Tuesday. / Korea Times photo Shim Hyun-chulBy Park Jin-haiBoral, a leading Australian building materials maker, sees huge potential in the Korean market as demand for remodeling of buildings and apartments grows.Boral CEO Mike Kane said Korea was one of the four most important markets for the company, along with Australia, Thailand and Indonesia.“Korea and Australia lead the way in terms of business size and scope in developed markets,” Kane said in an interview with The Korea Times.  “We look to Korea to help us bring operations around Asia up to the standards of Korea.”The company, which mainly produces plasterboard, started business here in 1998 and has been expanding market share.Kane, who chose Korea as the first destination for his Asia trip, said that the most interesting part of the Korean market was the remodeling boom.“A lot of repair and remodeling work is done in shops that are converting to different formats and different l

Mar 5, 2015By Park Jin-hai
Companies

POSCO to partner with Saudi Arabian fund to build auto plant

By Park Jin-haiPOSCO, the world’s third-largest steelmaker, forged a strategic partnership with the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) in the construction and automobile areas.POSCO Chairman Kwon Oh-joon, who has been accompanying President Park Geun-hye’s Middle East entourage, met with the PIF secretary general Abdulrahman Almofadhi to sign an agreement on Wednesday.Under the agreement, the Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund will invest $1 billion in POSCO E&C, a construction arm of the Korean steelmaker.It will also consider making a joint venture with POSCO to cooperate in its project to manufacture cars in the Middle East country.Earlier, sources from business circles and investment banks had that Daewoo International, a subsidiary of POSCO, concluded a contract with the PIF in February to establish a state-run carmaker. “Both companies share the view that they need to prepare for the post-oil era, especially when the global energy market becomes increasingly vulnerable to outside factors,” said the company in the statement.Daewoo

Mar 4, 2015By Park Jin-hai
Companies

Hyundai, Kia to strut their stuff at Geneva

Hyundai Motor’s all new TucsonBy Park Jin-haiFour models from Hyundai Motor and Kia Motors will make their global debut at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show in a bid to boost sales in Europe.The nation’s top automakers will unveil the all-new Tucson SUV, i20 coupe, cee’d GT hatchback and Sportspace concept wagon at International de l’Automobile Salon in Geneva on March 3.Hyundai’s popular five-seat compact SUV Tucson is leading the pack. The first fully changed model in six years features a bold design, centered on a big hexagonal front grill and fluid bodyline.It is one of the company’s first cars to show the touch of new design director Peter Schreyer, who created Kia’s famous K series look.The Tucson was been Hyundai’s best-selling model in Europe last year, selling more than 94,000 units and surpassing sales of the i20 compact there.Kia’s concept wagon Sportspace is a high-performance grand touring vehicle, ideal for long-distance travel.The car, developed at the company’s design center in Europe, has a simple, dynamic shap

Mar 1, 2015By Park Jin-hai
Hyundai, Kia to strut their stuff at Geneva
Companies

Seoul Motor Show kicks off April 3

By Park Jin-haiThe Seoul Motor Show, with the theme “Experience the Technology, Feel the Artistry,” begins a 10-day run from April 3 at KINTEX in Ilsan, Gyeonggi Province.Organizers said Tuesday the 10th show would be the biggest, with a record 33 automakers participating.Nine domestic brands, including Hyundai Motor, Kia Motors, GM Korea, Renault Samsung and Ssangyong, will display their latest vehicles. Twenty-four foreign car makers, including five first-timers such as Lamborghini and Sunlong Bus, will also be represented.Lamborghini will unveil three sports cars. Bentley will display three super cars and Maserati will unveil seven models."This year, visitors can learn and experience not only technological advances, but also the core values and culture of cars, including philosophical and artistic values and craftsmanship,” said Kim Yong-geun, secretary-general of the motor show’s organizing committee.Six world, nine Asian and 18 Korean vehicles will debut during the event.Hyundai will unveil one world premiere, one Asian premiere and two concept cars, whil

Feb 24, 2015By Park Jin-hai
Companies

Foreign carmakers expand presence in local commercial car market

By Park Jin-haiLocal and foreign carmakers are intensifying their competition to take a bigger bite out of the commercial vehicle market.Foreign carmakers are introducing trucks and buses, aiming to take the lead in the lucrative commercial car market in line with the toughened Euro 6 environmental regulations that took effect last month.Volvo Truck Korea will launch full Euro-6 engine lineups ― including its flagship FH, FM and FMX models ― in March. They debuted in Europe last year.Since it started accepting preorders in late January, it has received more than 320 orders in less than 20 days. Considering the Swedish carmaker’s last year sales figure of 1,600 vehicles, the initial response from customers is said to be “explosive.” “For the new fleet with upgraded engines and features, we have limited the price hike to about 3 percent, while our rivals are expected to raise prices around 10 percent,” a Volvo Truck Korea official said. Daimler Truck Korea will also launch new truck lineups with Euro 6 engines on Thursday.Those cars are all new m

Feb 23, 2015By Park Jin-hai
Companies

Kia Soul tops domestic EV sales

Kia Motors’ Soul EVBy Park Jin-haiKia Motors’ Soul became the best selling electric vehicle (EV) in Korea last year. Of the 1,183 EVs sold last year, Kia’s hatchback topped the list selling 414 vehicles, accounting for more than a third of the local EV market, according to the Korea Automotive Manufacturers Association. Renault Samsung Motors’ SM3 ranked second with 309 SM3 Z.E.s sold, followed by Kia’s Ray with 202 sold.Kia’s two flagship EVs together accounted for more than half of the fast-expanding local electric vehicle market. The Soul EV’s popularity stems largely from the 148 kilometers the company claims the car can travel on a single charge, which is longer than the rival SM3 Z.E.’s 135 kilometers and the Nissan Leaf and BMW i3’s 132 kilometers. “Rival models’ batteries tend to lose battery efficiency in cold weather. But, the Soul EV ― thanks to its heat pump system ― is losing less efficiency and that is another plus point,” said a Kia official. The Soul also has a 10-year warranty, a market

Feb 23, 2015By Park Jin-hai
Companies

Hyundai to invest W2 tril. for commercial vehicles

By Park Jin-haiHyundai Motor will invest 2 trillion won in facilities and research to boost its commercial vehicle segment over the next five years.It will expand its Jeonju plant’s annual capacity to 100,000 by 2020, it said Monday.The 2 trillion won breaks down to 400 trillion won for investment in plants, and 1.6 trillion won for research and development in the field.The plant will crank up its capacity to 85,000 by 2017, and 100,000 or up 54 percent from last year, by 2020.It currently produces 65,000 cars.When completed, the plant will manufacture high-end commercial vehicles as well as strategic models for emerging markets, becoming the production center for the company’s commercial vehicles.The company intends to export upscale commercial models to western European nations and the North American market it has not yet entered.The commercial vehicle sector has been forecast to grow 27 percent into a nearly 4 million market by 2020, from 3 million in 2014.  The sector has been expanding at a rate of 4.2 percent per year.The world’s fifth-largest carmaker ca

Feb 16, 2015By Park Jin-hai
Companies

Hyundai recalls 60,000 cars

By Park Jin-haiThe nation’s largest carmaker Hyundai Motor and its smaller sister firm Kia Motors are recalling over nearly 60,000 vehicles, including the Grandeur Hybrid, the land ministry said Monday.Hyundai Motor is recalling 10,604 Grandeur Hybrid, produced between Dec. 24, 2013 and Oct. 24, 2014.The recall is known to have a faulty electronic program in the vehicle's brake system that may fail to warn the driver of a leak or lack of brake fluid, leading to the brake system failure, according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.Kia Motors is also recalling Bongo 3 flagship commercial truck. The vehicles’ faulty brake system is said to be veering the vehicle left, potentially leading to a loss of control or even an accident.A total of 47,347 Bongo 3 vehicles, produced between Dec. 2, 2007 and Dec. 1, 2013, are subject for the recall.Free repair services is available from Tuesday at Hyundai and Kia service centers throughout the country.

Feb 16, 2015By Park Jin-hai
Companies

Lotte pledges W7.5 tril. investment

By Park Jin-haiLotte Group, the nation’s fifth-largest conglomerate, said Sunday that it will make record investments this year to aggressively seek out future growth engines amid the economic slump.The group said that it will invest a total of 7.5 trillion won ($6.82 billion), up more than 30 percent than the previous year, and is planning to hire more people this year.The company will invest 3.4 trillion won in beefing up its retail business; 1.5 trillion won in construction and chemicals; 1 trillion won in food; and 1.1 trillion won in the tourism and services sectors.Total investment is 32 percent more than last year and exceeds the previous record of 7 trillion won in 2010.The company will also hire 15,800 people this year, slightly more than last year.The conglomerate has been faced with a double whammy of falling sales and rumors involving Lotte World Tower, the nation’s tallest building, currently under construction in southern Seoul.“Despite a tough market environment, including slow economic growth and regulations on the distribution industry, we wanted to

Feb 15, 2015By Park Jin-hai
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