Kia's Regular General Meeting of Shareholders with 'Mission Change Period'... Child Shareholders Also Attend (Comprehensive)

[Asia Economy Reporters Su-yeon Woo, Ki-min Lee] Kia, which declared its leap into a mobility solutions company, finalized its name change and brand reestablishment through the regular shareholders' meeting on the 22nd. On this day, Kia presented the goal of becoming the 'No.1 global electric vehicle company' and led changes such as appointing the first female outside director among major listed affiliates of Hyundai Motor Group.

At the shareholders' meeting held at Kia headquarters in Yangjae-dong, Seoul, in the morning, Kia resolved five agenda items, including approval of financial statements and appointment of inside and outside directors, as originally proposed. At the same time, the meeting confirmed the agenda to change the company name from Kia Motors to Kia by removing 'Motors.' President Song Ho-sung emphasized, "Changing the name from Kia Motors to Kia means 'expanding our business,' and we will transform into a brand that provides customers with innovative mobility experiences beyond manufacturing and selling vehicles."

Song Hoseong, President of Kia, is presenting an agenda at the 77th regular general meeting held on the 22nd at Kia headquarters in Yangjae-dong, Seoul. Photo by Kia

Also at the meeting, Professor Cho Hwa-soon of Yonsei University's Department of Political Science and International Relations was appointed as the first female outside director since Kia's founding. Professor Cho will serve as the first female outside director among Hyundai Motor Group affiliates and will take on the role of Kia's audit committee member. She stated, "As the first political scientist elected as a full member of the Korean Academy of Science and Technology, I have conducted long-term research on technology policy and future governance. Based on my expertise, I will provide professional advice to contribute to Kia's development."

There was also mention of Kia's electric vehicle strategy and its first dedicated electric vehicle, the EV6. President Song said, "We will successfully launch the first dedicated electric vehicle EV6 in July to expand our presence in the EV market. In the PBV (Purpose Built Vehicle) sector, we will quickly pioneer the market using existing vehicles and expand our business through open innovation and independent platform development to leap to global No.1."

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, Kia implemented pre-entry temperature checks, spaced seating, and designated seating at the shareholders' meeting, which was attended by about 100 shareholders on site. Notably, attendees ranged from elementary school children shareholders to elderly shareholders in their 60s and 70s, attracting attention for the diverse age groups present.

Three siblings?Kim Hee-chan (15), Kim So-hee (12), and Kim Eun-chan (10)?attended their first corporate shareholders' meeting with their mother, Joo Sun-mi (48). Ms. Joo said, "Instead of direct inheritance, I thought it better to pass on financial knowledge and assets, so I bought stocks for them instead of giving pocket money and brought them to the shareholders' meeting. It also helps a lot as we study economics together through news and media."

Meanwhile, some disruptive 'shareholder intruders' interrupted the meeting, causing displeasure among attendees. Some shareholders obstructed the proceedings with absurd reasons such as lack of separate explanations for financial statements, granting speaking rights only to specific individuals, and opposing the appointment of a female outside director. As a result, the first agenda item was only put to a vote after an hour, and the entire meeting concluded in about two hours.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.