Thoughts on Korean Business by Don Southerton

I follow and comment on Green car technology--especially at Hyundai-Kia Motors. Hybrids are due out this year. FCEV might show up in a few years. I've driven both Hyundai Kia hybrids and FCEV. What interests me are the EV. On my next trip to Korea, I plan to test drive one :) This article shares Hyundai Kia Motors' EV plans... March 25 (Bloomberg) -- Hyundai Motor Co., South Korea’s largest automaker, is developing an electric vehicle for urban commuters as governments tighten pollution rules and rival carmakers unveil new battery-powered and hybrid models. The rechargeable model will have a driving range of about 40 miles (62 kilometers), said Vice Chairman Lee Hyun Soon, research chief for Hyundai and affiliate Kia Motors Corp. He declined to say when the battery car will go on sale. Hyundai follows Toyota Motor Corp. and General Motors Corp. in designing cars powered wholly or in part by electricity to cut carbon emissions and oil dependence. Toyota will test a new plug-in ...

Green technology drive much of the car industry. Hyundai and Kia Motors will soon enter the hybrid market. Their entry model for Kia will be a Liquid Petroleum version. LP is popular in Korea. Korea Herald notes. Kia Motors Corp. yesterday unveiled the liquefied petroleum gas-electric hybrid version of the Forte and its eco-friendly sub-brand Eco Dynamics. Eco Dynamics is a sub-brand that represents ecology and economics and the company's aim of developing environmentally friendly automotive technologies, the logo for which will be used on hybrid, plug-in hybrid and hydrogen-powered vehicles to be launched in the future. The hybrid Forte is equipped with a 1.6-liter LPG engine and an electric motor to support the internal combustion engine during acceleration and when the vehicle is started. The vehicle's maximum power output is 114 brake horsepower and fuel economy comes in at 17.2 kilometers per liter of LPG fuel, which is equivalent to 21.5 kilometers per liter fuel econom...

Korea continues to move upscale. Hyundai's recent launch of the new Equus is another example. Last week when I was in Korea, I met with 2 American colleagues visiting Seoul for the first time. It quickly became apparent to my friends that Korea was very upmarket. I explained that premium and lux brands did well. In fact, I stressed that to do well in Korea one needed to brand their company and services as upscale and upmarket.

I'm headed back to the states. After a week traveling across Seoul multiple times, I'll miss the private drivers. What also stands out is the Korean car navigation system. They are quite advanced--much more than in the U.S. For one, most track traffic conditions real time. What I really like is an expected arrival time that constantly is updating. What may surprise folks is that integrated into the nav system is local TV and something similar to on-demand movies. That means that the driver can watch their favorite TV while driving. This can be a little scary in heavy Seoul traffic traveling at high speeds. I'm shocked there are not more accidents....

Early Morning in Downtown Seoul Weather has been exceptionally nice. especially for someone who is also based in La Jolla, California. Yesterday, I had the opportunity to travel outside the city after two days of meetings, time split between north and south of the Han River. Travelling down the Route 1 corridor south one sees ever-expanding Korean urban development. My travels took me to Pyeong Taek and the man-made lake dividing Gyeongi and Chungcheonnam provinces. The area will soon be home to the U.S. military relocation and more exciting--Resort Monarque 36.5. The move outside the immediate Seoul area for developments will spur much change in area's traditionally less impacted by rapid urbanization, modernization, and globalization. In fact, perhaps the trend to move to Seoul area and cities ( 9 out of 10 Koreans now live in a city) might be tempered with some option where higher quality of life and economic opportunity co-exist.

I'm back in Korea this week. My hope is to step away from my usual commentary blogging and share my experiences and perceptions of Korea and its people over the next few days. 1. What was very interesting were the people I met on my flights. First, while I was in San Diego waiting for the commuter flight to LAX, I helped two Korean women heading back to Korea. One had just enrolled a daughter in a top SD ESL school. They were confused and I made sure they got on the right flight. They of course were shocked, I could speak Korean. While chatting with the women, I found out that one of their husbands is a tire supplier to Hyundai and Kia, and hurting because of the downturn in the Market. My helping the Korean travelers did not go unnoticed. A man sitting next to us, asked what I knew about Korea... His firm had just been contacted by the Group building the new Incheon Songdo Bridge... of course that lead to my role in the Songdo project, etc. I hope to meet with them upon my retu...

I'm back in Korea next week. As usual I fly Korean Air, which is part of the Hanjin Group. That said, Arirang News notes... When it comes to air travel, Korean airliners may be the safest way to fly. The UN's International Civil Aviation Organization says Korea ranked first for aviation safety so far with a 98.89 percent performance rating by international standards. The organization's rating was introduced in 1995 in the wake of a rising number of accidents in the early 90s. BTW Korea Air has ordered six Airbus A330 aircraft for use on routes linking Seoul with Europe and North America. I expect, I'll be traveling in one of the new A330s when they are in operation.