Hyundai Motor Group Vice Chairman Jang Jaehoon: "Chinese Cars Have a Significant Cost Advantage... Competing Through Safety, Quality, and Service"

"Cost Competitiveness Must Be Built on Fundamental Quality and Safety"

"Speed and Scale Are Most Critical for Robotics and AI"

Jang Jae-hoon, Vice Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, stated at the "23rd Automobile Day" commemorative event held at JW Marriott Hotel Banpo in Seoul on May 12, 2026, "Chinese-made vehicles currently have a significant cost competitiveness. If we do not improve not only safety and quality but also customer service and the overall customer experience, competition will be very tough."

After the event, Vice Chairman Jang met with reporters and responded to a question about how Hyundai Motor Group plans to respond to the aggressive entry of Chinese electric vehicles into the domestic market. He answered, "I hope that this competition will become an opportunity for us to move one step further. In that sense, every division is working hard."

Regarding strategies for external factors such as instability in the Middle East, high oil prices, and tariffs, he said, "Fundamentally, it comes down to the comprehensive competitiveness of our products. In addition to innovativeness, we must continuously enhance the fundamental quality and safety that automobiles should have, while also achieving cost competitiveness." He added, "Furthermore, the real competitiveness lies in how we further reinforce safety and quality in electrification and autonomous driving technologies, which are already widely adopted. Therefore, ensuring a solid foundation is the most important thing even amid changes."

On the subject of plans for key business areas such as robotics, artificial intelligence (AI), and hydrogen energy, Vice Chairman Jang said, "The interconnectivity of core businesses is crucial. We are looking at how autonomous driving, robotics, and AI can be integrated, and the most important factors are the scalability of the overall platform, as well as its speed and scale." He explained, "For this reason, we will proceed based on the domestic and U.S. investment plans that were previously announced, as now is the time to act swiftly and with great sophistication."

At the event, Vice Chairman Jang was awarded the Gold Tower Order of Industrial Service Merit, the highest industrial honor in Korea, in recognition of his contributions to the development of the national industry.