36 Honorees Recognized for 50 Years of Auto Exports... Jang Jae-hoon, Hyundai Motor Vice Chairman, Awarded Gold Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit

Silver Tower Award: Ham Sang-sik of MR InfraAuto

Bronze Tower Award: Hwang Ki-young of KG Mobility

Contributions to Electrification and Autonomous Driving in Future Mobility

Jaehoon Chang, Vice Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, received the Gold Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit on the 12th in celebration of the 23rd Automobile Day. Vice Chairman Chang was highly recognized for leading the transition to future mobility, creating new growth engines, revitalizing local economies, and contributing to the advancement of the national economy.

The Korea Automobile Mobility Industry Association and the Korea Automobile Industry Cooperative Association held the 23rd Automobile Day commemorative event at JW Marriott Hotel Seoul on the morning of the 12th, with over 300 attendees, including Vice Minister Sinhak Moon of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, members of the automotive industry, and distinguished contributors.

Held under the theme "50 Years Driven by Exports, a New Challenge Toward the Next 100 Years," this event was designed to recognize the efforts of automotive industry professionals who have achieved a cumulative export total of 76 million vehicles over the past 50 years as of February. The first official record of exports dates back to June 1976, when six Pony vehicles were shipped to Ecuador.

A total of 36 outstanding contributors to the industry, who helped maintain industrial competitiveness by expanding investments and identifying future core growth drivers despite challenging internal and external conditions, were honored with awards.

This is the first time in about 20 years since 2007 that the Gold Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit has been awarded on Automobile Day, with Vice Chairman Chang receiving the honor. Vice Chairman Chang stated, "I believe this medal belongs to all Hyundai Motor Group employees who have quietly done their best despite uncertain circumstances. I am also deeply grateful to everyone in the industry who has been part of the journey of developing Korea's automotive industry."

He added, "Hyundai Motor Group will continue to lead change during this unprecedented industrial transformation, where electrification, artificial intelligence (AI), and robotics are being redefined simultaneously, and will drive a new leap forward for Korea's automotive industry."

Vice Chairman Chang is leading Hyundai Motor Group's record-breaking domestic investment of KRW 125.2 trillion announced last year. Hyundai Motor Group continues to drive economic revitalization and the advancement of related domestic industries, expand advanced production bases such as the new dedicated electric vehicle (EV) plant in Ulsan, pursue mutual growth across the entire supply chain, and strengthen competitiveness in future businesses including electrification and software-defined vehicles (SDV).

The Silver Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit was awarded to Sangshik Ham, CEO of MR InfraAuto, while the Bronze Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit went to Giyeong Hwang, CEO of KG Mobility. They were recognized for their contributions to automobile exports, securing technological competitiveness, revitalizing local economies, and fulfilling social responsibilities.

The Industrial Medal was awarded to Jongha Lee, Executive Director at Hyundai Mobis; Hyuncheol Kim, Research Fellow at the Korea Automotive Technology Institute; Kiljae Jang, Executive Director at GM Korea; and Seungjae Min, Professor at Hanyang University. The Presidential Commendation was given to Heejeong Sang, Vice President at Renault Korea; Jae-min Lee, Executive Vice President at Hyundai Motor Company; Seunghoon Hwang, Deputy Managing Director at Kyungshin; and Jaehee Kim, Executive Director at GM Technical Center Korea. Additionally, the event focused on identifying and commending distinguished individuals who made significant achievements in a broad range of areas, such as attracting domestic production and developing technology for eco-friendly vehicles; advancing the ecosystem for future vehicles through innovations in AI, software, and autonomous driving technologies; and building talent pipelines.

Daejin Jung, Chairman of the Korea Automobile Mobility Industry Association, stated, "The automotive industry is not only a key driver of Korea's economic growth but is now at an important turning point as it leads the global future mobility market. To secure a position as a global front-runner amid intensifying competition in the future vehicle sector, we must not only strengthen our domestic production base but also build a sustainable ecosystem through continuous innovation and challenge, expanding R&D and investments based on public-private cooperation."