Auto-Review Made in Korea - North and South Album

The names of Kia and Hyundai are now well-known and respected around the world, though it took time for them to become established motor manufacturers, and it seems that some owners still have no idea that their cars come from Korea. Among other South Korean marques described here are SsangYong (later KGM), Daewoo (later GM Korea) and Samsung (later Renault). The merged Hyundai and Kia (plus Asia Motors) were, however, by far the largest in terms of production. Here we have the stories of those companies as they grew from tiny beginnings to become automotive world leaders. By the 2020s Hyundai had grown to become the world's third-largest carmaker in terms of production numbers, behind only Toyota and Volkswagen. The Hyundai plant in Ulsan, South Korea was the biggest in the world, producing more than 1.6 million vehicles per year. Hyundai also wins our prize for the most entertaining car name; the Getz Cross (don’t we all?).

Vehicles were also produced in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, in the northern half of the Korean peninsula. They are described in the second part of this publication. We are grateful to Jean-Louis Pothin for much of the information and photos on North Korean vehicles. Jean-Louis is the only one of our friends and regular contributors to have visited North Korea in recent years, so his input has been especially valuable for this Auto Review book.