Hyundai Motor Accelerates Hydrogen Business in the US... Recruits Former Samsung Harman Executive

Hyundai Motor Company has recruited an executive from Samsung Harman to accelerate its hydrogen business in the North American market.

On the 27th, Hyundai Motor announced that since the 12th, it has appointed Jim Park, former president of Harman International Korea, as Executive Vice President in charge of North American commercial vehicle and hydrogen business development. EVP Park will oversee future mobility solutions related to commercial vehicle sales, infrastructure development, and hydrogen commercialization in the North American market.

Jose Munoz, Hyundai Motor’s Global Chief Operating Officer (COO) and head of the North American subsidiary, said, "Hyundai is accelerating the development of hydrogen technology to provide zero-emission solutions applicable to various applications," adding, "EVP Park’s experience in the automotive business will help secure the necessary resources to expand the hydrogen business in the North American market."

Jim Park, Executive Vice President in charge of North American Commercial Vehicles and Hydrogen Business Development at Hyundai Motor Company
[Photo by Hyundai Motor Company]

EVP Park is an industry expert with over 30 years of experience across the automotive sector. He entered the automotive industry in 1987 by joining American Motors Corporation (AMC) in the United States. He later handled product planning at Chrysler and Hyundai Motor’s U.S. subsidiary. In the 2000s, he served as CEO of Global Auto Systems based in the U.S. and was also active on the board of the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea.

Just before joining Hyundai Motor, he was president of Harman International Korea, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics. At Harman Korea, he led strategies for the automotive division and Samsung’s electronic components division. He managed four departments including connected cars, vehicle audio, consumer electronics, and professional solutions, while also overseeing profit management and talent development.

With this recruitment, Hyundai Motor is expected to accelerate the expansion of its hydrogen business in North America. Hyundai particularly values the effectiveness of hydrogen fuel cells in the commercial vehicle sector. It has signed a hydrogen fuel cell partnership with European commercial vehicle manufacturer Iveco and operates a hydrogen fuel cell sales and production subsidiary in China, preparing for full-scale sales.

At the Korea H2 Business Summit held on the 14th, where top executives of leading domestic companies gathered, Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Eui-sun emphasized the importance of hydrogen energy and announced plans to unveil a hydrogen tractor in the North American market this year.

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