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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

Mercedes-Benz to rev up compact car sales

By Park Jin-haiMercedes-Benz announced its blueprint to increase sales of its compact cars, Wednesday.“As of September this year, our small car lineup took 7.8 percent of all our sales. That number alone is the world’s 11th highest,” said Choi Duk-jun, vice president of sales at Mercedes-Benz Korea, at its “Mercedes Me” brand experience center’s opening ceremony.“Compact cars are playing a very important role in the company’s sustainable growth. We will continuously expand the lineup to target younger customers.”The company launched its B-class in 2012, A-class in 2013 and CLA-class in January this year. In August, it also launched compact SUV GLA-class, expanding its small car lineup.The sales of those compacts as of September this year have increased 104 percent at 2,078 cars from a year earlier, pushing up overall sales.Last month, the company became the top monthly foreign car seller here, selling 3,538, beating its rival BMW for the first time in nearly three years.The Mercedes-Benz A-class sold 1,019 vehicles since its Augus

Oct 22, 2014By Park Jin-hai
Companies

Mercedes, Toyota open experience centers

By Park Jin-hai          Mercedes-Benz opened a pop-up “Mercedes me” brand experience center Today in Garosugil, southern Seoul, where customers can test-drive its new compact cars and participate in various events over six days.Toyota also plans to open it owns brand experience center in the partly opened Lotte World Mall in Jamsil on Friday.Following the lead of Hyundai Motor, which opened Hyundai Motor Studio in May, and BMW, which opened its driving center in Yeongjong-do in August, carmakers are opening unique brand experience centers to reach out to more customers.Mercedes-Benz will exhibit its compact lines with a view to expanding its customer base to include more people in their 20s and 30s.  To appeal to younger drivers, it picked Garosugil, the tree-lined street flanked by fancy restaurants and clothing shops, as the venue to set up its display center. “To distance ourselves from the image of a luxury automaker making only big-sized sedans, and also break the psychological barrier of imported car

Oct 21, 2014By Park Jin-hai
Companies

Kia Motors holds global dealer meeting

By Park Jin-haiKia Motors’ global dealers convened in Seoul to share the company’s vision and discuss sales strategies, the company announced Monday.During the four-day meeting until Oct. 24, some 260 dealers invited from 110 countries will visit the Namyang research center and Hyundai Steel’s Dangjin plant and test-drive newly launched cars as well as hold a business conference.  Among the invited are Abdullatif Al Jabr, chairman and CEO of Al Jabr Group, and Israeli Talcar Group CEO Rami Ungar and its president Gadi Ungar.In the business conference to be held Tuesday, brand strategy, dealer training and overseas after service strategies will be shared, the new Sorento and Carnival, two Kia Motors’ models, will be introduced.The group will visit Namyang Technology Research Center and test-drive Sorento, Carnival and Soul electric vehicles. They will also visit Hyundai Steel’s production facility and see how its vertical business structure creates a win-win situation.Hyundai Motor Group, the parent group of Kia Motors, says that the company wil

Oct 20, 2014By Park Jin-hai
Companies

Renault Samsung restarts overtime to meet demand

By Park Jin-haiRenault Samsung Motors said Monday that it has restarted its Busan plant’s overtime schedule to meet increasing demand for new sedan and diesel vehicles.Since November last year, due to sagging local demand as well as a decrease in exports, the automaker temporarily stopped any extra work.Starting this month, the morning and evening shifts will put in an extra hour a day every week. Weekend and holiday overtime will also resume.The company estimates that those overtime hours will produce over 5,000 more cars this month, escalating its October production to 22,000 vehicles, its highest monthly production in three years.The company’s decision came after the successful launches of its diesel model SM5 D and flagship sedan new SM7 Nova, as well as production of Nissan Motor’s Rogue SUV at its Busan plant for shipments to North America.“The successive launch of new models and exports has nearly doubled the demand from a year earlier. Thus we restarted the plant’s overtime hours,” said Oh Jik-youl, the company’s manufacturi

Oct 20, 2014By Park Jin-hai
Companies

Daegu to host 2021 World Gas Conference

By Park Jin-haiKOGAS CEO Jang Seok-hyoDaegu has been selected as the host city for the 2021 World Gas Conference (WGC), Korea Gas Corp. (KOGAS) said Friday.The international gathering of gas-related policymakers selected the host city during the International Gas Union’s (IGU) general assembly in Germany, Thursday.Korea beat Norway in a tight race to win the right to host the conference.It is the third attempt for KOGAS to host the international event.“KOGAS’s efforts to host the conference and government support have moved the hearts of members,” the company said. “With the hosting of the conference here, global gas companies can expand their gas market dominated by Europe and Northern America to Asia.”KOGAS CEO Jang Seok-hyo has led the campaign to host the event in Daegu.He will be chairman of the IGU from 2018 to 2021.The WGC is a triennial event where over 6,000 gas-related policymakers convene over five days to discuss energy policies and announce the outcome of research.  Korea will be the third Asian country to host the conference

Oct 17, 2014By Park Jin-hai
Daegu to host 2021 World Gas Conference
Companies

Hyundai Motor awards W880 million to Asian Game archery team

By Park Jin-haiChung Mong-kooHyundai Motor chairmanHyundai Motor Vice Chairman Chung Eui-sun met with national archery team members to award them a total of 880 million won prize in recognition of their achievements at the recent Incheon Asian Games.“Today we are honoring all members of the national archery team, who topped the podium in five archery events at the Incheon Asian Games, winning nine medals,” said Chung who heads the Korean Archery Association (KAA).“We should continue to add new chapters in the Korean archery history,” he added.  The national archery team won five gold medals, three silvers and one bronze in the games, a big contribution to Korea's second-place ranking out of 45 participating countries.In 1985, his father Chung Mong-koo was inaugurated as president of KAA. He established two professional archery teams sponsored by Mobis and Hyundai Steel, two affiliates of the country's biggest automaker.Under his leadership, Hyundai Motor has invested more than 38 billion won in support of the national archery team, including recruiting ta

Oct 17, 2014By Park Jin-hai
Hyundai Motor awards W880 million to Asian Game archery team
Companies

GM Korea chief envisions sustainable future

Sergio Rocha, left in the center, GM Korea’s CEO, poses with other employees during the session to share its business performance and visions in celebration of its 12th anniversary of its market entry to Korea, at its Changwon plant, Thursday./ Courtesy of GM KoreaBy Park Jin-haiGM Korea’s CEO Sergio Rocha called for employees to “work together” with management to put the company on a path to a sustainable growth, Thursday, a day before the automaker’s 12th anniversary of its market entry to Korea.“I want to express my profound appreciation for all employees’ significant contribution to GM Korea’s success over the past 12 years,” said Rocha. “Now is the time for us to take GM Korea to the next level. I can assure that if we all work together as one team, we will prove ourselves to be competitive and drive our way to a sustainable future.”He has toured its local plants in Bupyeong, Gunsan, Boryeong and Changwon from Oct. 7 to 16 and held ten sessions to share business performances and visions with its all employees, dru

Oct 16, 2014By Park Jin-hai
Companies

Hyundai's R&D show displays inside of vehicles

Visitors look at the engine room and car parts during the R&D Motor Show held at the Hyundai Motor’s Namyang Technology Research Center in Gyeonggi Province, Wednesday. / Courtesy of Hyundai MotorBy Park Jin-haiHyundai Motor has disassembled its brand-new automobiles, as well as those of its foreign rivals, for its subcontractors at its own mini-motor show.The eleventh R&D Motor Show is taking place at the automaker’s Namyang Technology Research Center in Gyeonggi Province from Oct. 15 to 18.The annual event, held under the theme of harmonious growth for the company and its affiliates, is expected to draw more than 10,000 visitors, including students and representatives of the company’s 36 subcontractors. It offers a chance to see the technological advances that Hyundai and its affiliates have made over the past year, and to showcase the company’s products alongside those of global automakers such as Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Volkswagen and Nissan.A total of 96 cars ― 42 Hyundai-Kia cars and 54 competitors’ cars ― are on display. They include

Oct 15, 2014By Park Jin-hai
Hyundai's R&D show displays inside of vehicles
Companies

KAMA chief to head global carmakers' body

By Park Jin-haiKim Yong-geunThe International Organization of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers (OICA) will hold a general assembly in Korea and appoint the head of the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association (KAMA) as its chief.The three-day gathering will take place at the Lotte Hotel in Seoul from Oct. 22, KAMA said.Some 50 auto industry heavy weights from 22 countries including Patrick Blain, OICA chief and chairman of the French Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (CCFA); and Matthias Wissmann, president of the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), will attend the meeting.  During the general assembly, members will elect Kim Yong-geun, president of KAMA, as the new head of the OICA to succeed outgoing chairman Blain.Kim will be the first Korean to take the top job.“The general assembly taking place in Seoul proves Korean auto industry’s standing in the global arena,” said an official of the OICA secretariat in a statement.“It will be an important forum where the global auto industry’s pending issues and prospects as well as

Oct 15, 2014By Park Jin-hai
KAMA chief to head global carmakers' body
Companies

Laid-off Ssangyong workers left in legal limbo

By Park Jin-haiThe latest ruling on 153 workers laid off by Ssangyong Motor in 2009 has left them in a legal limbo of sorts.Suwon District Court ruled Monday against a request by the workers that they be reinstated to their jobs until the Supreme Court makes a final ruling.This followed a decision by the Seoul High Court in February that the layoffs were not valid.“After five years of waiting... I have fallen into too deep a state of frustration to even muster my anger,” said Lee Chang-keun, a former Ssangyong employee.   The court based its decision on the lack of evidence to substantiate the workers’ claim.The workers applied for an injunction in May when the appeals court made a decision, and demanded that the firm pay them a monthly payment of 3 million until a Supreme Court ruling was made.    “They say there is a lack of evidence. What better evidence could we have than the appeals court ruling? The court has closed its eyes to the facts and given a politically motivated ruling,” said Lee.Kim Tae-wook, the lawyer representi

Oct 14, 2014By Park Jin-hai
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