Hyundai’s Chung: 1st Korean awarded top UK Order from King Charles

Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun has been named a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for promoting economic and cultural cooperation between South Korea and the UK.

With the honor, Chung has become the first Korean to be awarded the highest-ranking British order since the accession of King Charles III, the top Korean carmaker said on Wednesday.

His reception of the order is significant as his grandfather and Hyundai founder Chung Ju-yung was given the same honor in 1997, Hyundai said.

“Executive Chair Chung, as it has seen your forebears whom we have similarly honored, as an exemplar of this outstanding tradition of commercial and philanthropic leadership, one which has taken Hyundai Motor Group’s partnership with our country to unprecedented levels of collaboration,” Colin Crooks, the British ambassador to Seoul, said after awarding the medal on behalf of King Charles on Tuesday.

Chung said: “This honor has been bestowed upon me not for my individual service, but in recognition of Hyundai Motor Group’s contributions to our two nations’ cooperation and friendship. We will further contribute to our bilateral cooperation in business, art, culture, sports and public service.”

The title – Commander of the Order of the British Empire – is bestowed on individuals who have made significant contributions to British society at either the national or regional level, reflecting distinguished, innovative achievements in fields that include technology, science, sport, arts, culture, politics, industry and the economy.

Chung was chosen as a CBE for his and Hyundai’s contribution to arts, culture and the UK’s transition to eco-friendly electrified mobility services, according to the Korean carmaker.

TATE MODERN, GENESIS SCOTTISH OPEN & EVs

The Korean automotive group, which owns Korea’s two largest carmakers, Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp., and standalone premium brand Genesis, has supported Tate Modern in London, one of the world’s most prestigious galleries for international and modern art, since 2014 with a 12-year partnership dedicated to the growth of arts and culture.

The conglomerate is also the title sponsor of the Genesis Scottish Open, one of Europe's most renowned golf tournaments.

Hyundai, which began exporting vehicles to the UK in 1982, has steadily enhanced its presence there, particularly with its award-winning electric vehicles launched in recent years.

In the first 10 months of this year, Hyundai Motor Group sold 173,000 cars in the UK, up 8.7% from the year-earlier period. The sales figure represents a 9.2% share of the market.

The group sold 28,000 EVs in the January-October period, ranking third in the UK’s EV market after Tesla and Volkswagen.

In 2022, Hyundai’s IONIQ 5 crossover EV won the UK Car of the Year award while the Kia EV6 was named the Car of the Year by the What Car? magazine.

In recognition of Hyundai and Kia EVs’ high performance, the group has swept several global industry awards, including those from British auto magazines such as Autocar and Top Gear.

ADVANCED AIR MOBILITY

Hyundai Motor has also strengthened its partnership with British companies in the advanced air mobility (AAM) sector.

Hyundai signed an initial agreement with Rolls-Royce, an aircraft engine manufacturer, in 2022 to jointly research and develop electric propulsion and hydrogen fuel cell technology in the AAM segment.

Hyundai is also building the infrastructure for urban air mobility (UAM) services in Coventry, northwest of London.

“The spirit of Hyundai Motor Group has always been to achieve what may seem impossible and to excel beyond expectations. We know that this was possible because we have friends like you,” Chung said after he received the CBE at Seoul’s British Embassy.

As Hyundai Motor chairman, Chung has personally been awarded several industry awards for his leadership.

In 2021, he won the Autocar Awards' top accolade, the Issigonis Trophy, named after legendary car designer Sir Alec Issigonis.

Last year, he was named the automobile industry's Visionary of the Year by Newsweek.

More recently, Chung was named the Person of the Year by MotorTrend, topping the prestigious US automobile media outlet’s 2023 Power List.

Write to Il-Gue Kim at black0419@hankyung.com

In-Soo Nam edited this article.