Junyoung Choi Appointed as Hyundai Motor Group President Overseeing Labor Relations

Hyundai Mobis Establishes Head of Labor-Management Policy

Hyundai Motor Group has elevated the position overseeing labor relations to the president level and established a dedicated labor relations role at its affiliate Hyundai Mobis.

On May 8, Hyundai Motor Group announced that Junyoung Choi, the president of Kia, has been appointed as the Group President in charge of Policy Development, overseeing labor relations. This move upgrades the top labor relations role from an executive vice president to a president, reflecting the group's intention to further strengthen risk management in response to recent changes in the labor-management environment.

Kia Chairman Choi Joonyoung is speaking at the signing ceremony for a win-win agreement to respond to regional extinction, held at the Government Seoul Office in Jongno-gu, Seoul on the 24th. 2026.3.24 Photo by Cho Yongjun

Junyoung Choi, newly appointed as the Group President in charge of Policy Development, is recognized for successfully leading labor-management negotiations at Kia and supporting management performance. Hyundai Motor Group expects President Choi to oversee all labor affairs for the group and contribute to stabilizing labor relations and establishing advanced labor-management practices.

At Hyundai Mobis, the group's parts affiliate, a new executive vice president-level position dedicated to labor relations, titled “Head of Labor-Management Policy,” has been established, and Sangbin Jeong, Hyundai Motor's Head of Policy Development (executive vice president), has been appointed to this role. This measure aims to proactively address risks where labor-management issues at parts suppliers could directly lead to disruptions in vehicle production.

With President Choi’s transfer, Minsoo Song, executive vice president, will now oversee Kia's domestic production and labor affairs. Executive Vice President Song, formerly the head of Kia’s Hwaseong Plant, is recognized as an expert in optimizing on-site production. Going forward, he will be responsible for operating innovative production systems as Kia’s Chief Safety Officer (CSO) and head of domestic production.

As part of Kia’s subsequent personnel changes, Deokyoung So, head of the Kia Manufacturing Engineering Center (senior vice president), has been promoted and appointed as head of the Hwaseong Plant, while Kwangho Jeong, head of Manufacturing Engineering Division 1 (vice president), has been promoted and appointed as head of the Kia Manufacturing Engineering Center.

Industry observers view these appointments as a strategic move to closely manage the increasing demands for negotiations and strike risks from subcontractor unions, following the implementation of the amended Articles 2 and 3 of the Trade Union Act (the so-called “Yellow Envelope Law”) in March.

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