Most Popular
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Blinken calls on China to press N. Korea to end its 'dangerous' behavior
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New celebrity-endorsed therapy for face contouring requires only a pair of rubber bands
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[Weekender] How DDP emerged as an icon of Seoul
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Tensions heighten ahead of first president-opposition chief meeting
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Doctor group's incoming head renews call for govt. to scrap medical school quota hike for dialogue
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[Music in drama] An ode to childhood trauma
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Seoul to provide housing subsidy to married couples with newborns
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'The Roundup: Punishment' becomes fastest 2024 film to top 2 mln admissions
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New head of doctors' association vows war in case of disadvantage to medical professors
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Rapper jailed after public street fight with another rapper
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McLaren launches Asia-only supercar
McLaren is taking a very bold step with the launch of the 625C, the first supercar it has ever built that it claims is smooth and refined enough for everyday use, but more importantly, it is the first car it has tailor-made for one particular group of clients.The McLaren 625C will only be sold in Asia and will be available as a hardtop and as a drop-top Spider. It is based on the hugely successful 650S ― a car so much in demand that McLaren is having trouble hand-building them fast enough ― but
Sept. 28, 2014
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Germany eyes free parking to spur sales of electric cars
Germany is offering electric-car buyers the prospect of free parking as Chancellor Angela Merkel’s government seeks to boost demand for the vehicles.The German cabinet today backed a bill that would enable municipalities to offer drivers of battery-powered cars, fuel cell vehicles and some plug-in hybrids privileges including parking and the right to use bus lanes, the Environment Ministry said Thursday in an emailed statement.“Electric cars will get their own labels so they’re recognizable to e
Sept. 28, 2014
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Renault Samsung Motors starts Nissan Rogue shipments to U.S.
BUSAN ― Renault Samsung Motors on Friday began shipping the first batch of Nissan Rogue crossovers that have been produced at its Busan plant as of September. Under the strategic alliance between Renault and Nissan, the Korean carmaker plans to supply an annual 80,000 Rogue vehicles to the U.S. by 2019. Sales will begin in October. “The Rogue production is in a unique win-win-win case under the Renault-Nissan alliance,” said Gilles Normand, head of Renault’s Asia-Pacific division. “(This) took t
Sept. 26, 2014
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Lotus may slash jobs in bid for cost savings
Group Lotus Plc, the maker of exotic British sports cars like the Elise, may reduce its workforce by 27 percent to cut costs.As many as 325 of the 1,215 people employed at the Hethel, England-based company could lose their jobs as the manufacturer restructures, the unit of Malaysia’s DRB-Hicom Bhd. said in an emailed statement. Compulsory job reductions might be needed, Lotus said.“We have worked very hard to avoid the need to make the proposal, but do believe that it is now essential,” chief ex
Sept. 21, 2014
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Harley tested on home turf by WWII bikemaker
The Indian maker of Royal Enfield, the World War II-era British motorcycle, is expanding its foray in the U.S., the bastion of Harley-Davidson Inc., as the almost $7 billion market lures it with the promise of higher margins.Eicher Motors Ltd., the owner of the 120-year-old brand that counts Billy Joel and Jay Leno among its celebrity collectors, aims to “dominate” the mid-size motorcycle market in the U.S., Siddhartha Lal, the managing director of the New Delhi-based company, said in an intervi
Sept. 21, 2014
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Mercedes-Benz gets nod to test self-driving cars in California
Mercedes-Benz has followed Volkswagen AG’s Audi unit in getting a license to test self-driving vehicles on California roads as the luxury-car makers vie for a market predicted to grow to $87 billion by 2030.Mercedes, the third-biggest producer of premium cars received a newly required license from California to conduct tests in daily traffic, the Stuttgart, Germany-based manufacturer said in a statement. The announcement comes two days after Audi, the second-largest luxury carmaker, said it rece
Sept. 21, 2014
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[Herald Interview] Bentley pursues timeless design
Bentley Motors’ DNA is rooted in its classic designs and its ability to balance craftsmanship and technology, according to the British luxury automaker’s head designer. Lee Sang-yup, who is at the helm of Bentley’s exterior and advanced designs, shared his design philosophy during an interview with The Korea Herald when he visited Korea for the launch of the Flying Spur V8 this month. “I want to share with Korean consumers the passion Bentley has for keeping its heritage and DNA,” the chief desi
Sept. 21, 2014
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Lincoln MKC balances class, dynamics
Forget about the heavy-bodied sedans or extremely casual flank of sport utility vehicles: Finding the perfect medium between them was the idea that Lincoln designers had from the beginning when making their first-ever premium compact SUV, the MKC. And the U.S.-based premium carmaker has pulled off a balance between the class and dynamics for the new car. “The all-new MKC is the second car among four innovative models Lincoln aims to launch by 2016. The first of its kind, the MKZ was such a succe
Sept. 18, 2014
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The diet dilemma of Hyundai Motor
Losing vehicle weight through the use of aluminum is currently all the rage among global carmakers. Jaguar rolled out the all-aluminum XJ and XF sedans, while Mercedes-Benz’s new C-Class used aluminum for almost half the body structure.The use of aluminum, a lighter alternative to steel, means reduced weight and better fuel efficiency. The C-Class, for instance, is some 100 kilograms lighter than before, with its fuel ratings improving by 20 percent. With carmakers pouring resources into reducin
Sept. 15, 2014
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New Mercedes C-Class nears perfection
Despite its almost unrivaled luxury styling and interior, the Mercedes-Benz C-Class has long been considered less fun to drive compared to its potent rival, the BMW 3 Series.But the all-new C-Class, equipped with enhanced driving agility, no longer appears content to play the role of a low-key luxury cruiser. Since 2007, when the previous model was released, the compact sedan has sold more than 2.4 million units globally, making it the German carmaker’s best-selling model.With the dieting being
Sept. 14, 2014
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Honda buys land for next plant in India
Honda Motor Co., Japan’s third-largest carmaker, has started buying land in the western Indian state of Gujarat for a future plant in the country, an executive at the company said.Honda’s India sales chief Jnaneswar Sen, who spoke in an interview Friday in New Delhi, declined to give further details, such as the factory’s size, cost or timetable. Tokyo-based spokeswoman Kumiko Hashimoto confirmed that the company has started procedures for buying land in India.Honda saw deliveries in India rise
Sept. 14, 2014
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Formula E racing seeks to woo carmakers ahead of possible IPO
Formula E, a new electric racing series bankrolled with $100 million by Boston Celtics managing partner Wyc Grousbeck and others, wants to seduce sports fans and carmakers with a view to a possible initial public offering.The series, which opened in Beijing Saturday, uses battery-powered cars made by Villeneuve-La-Guyard, France-based Spark Racing Technology that look similar to Formula One single-seaters, although are slower, don’t have engine roar and require a vehicle change mid-race. Renault
Sept. 14, 2014
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Porsche buys 10% of traffic-tracker tech startup Inrix
Porsche Automobil Holding SE bought a 10 percent stake in traffic information provider Inrix Inc. for $55 million, its first move to expand its assets beyond a controlling stake in Volkswagen AG.The deal is the Stuttgart, Germany-based company’s first investment after its attempt to acquire Volkswagen backfired and triggered the departure of its former management.“Connectivity between cars and infrastructure is one of the important megatrends in the automotive industry,” Philipp von Hagen, the P
Sept. 14, 2014
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Tech leak fears haunt Korean carmakers
Korean carmakers are raising concerns about technology leaks, particularly to China, where they claim local firms are eager to quickly replicate the recent successes of their Korean rivals in global markets. Prosecutors said Thursday that they raided a Hyundai Motor and GM Korea contractor last week on suspicions that it had transferred engine design technology to a Chinese firm. The engine-developing company, Blue Planet, was set up in 2001 by a group of former workers of Hyundai and other Kore
Sept. 11, 2014
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Hyundai Motor, union fail to close gap
Hyundai Motor, which has the single largest labor union in Korea, failed to settle its annual wage talks with its union this week, breaking away from the long tradition of reaching a tentative agreement before Chuseok ― a psychological Maginot Line. On Tuesday, Hyundai management and the labor union met again for marathon talks, but failed to narrow their differences, especially on the issue of including fixed bonuses and benefits into regular wages. The management proposed setting up a new comm
Sept. 5, 2014
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Carmakers bet big on large sedans to restore profits
Amid a continuing craze for sport utility vehicles among drivers here, some Korean carmakers are expected to bet on large-sedan models in the second half of the year.Industry experts say local companies will be turning their attention to more profitable models amid rising uncertainties due to volatile foreign currencies. Currently, foreign brands dominate the nation’s large-sedan market.On Wednesday, Renault Samsung Motors, the Korean unit of the France-based Renault Group, launched the new SM7
Sept. 4, 2014
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Porsche woos young drivers with Macan crossover
Porsche, the manufacturer of the iconic 911 sports car, is wooing new customers with its latest crossover the Macan, its second sport utility vehicle following the hot-selling Cayenne.While the Cayenne is targeted toward a 911 driver who wants a second, bigger Porsche, the Macan hopes to lure first-time, younger buyers who will eventually acquire a Cayenne or a 911 ― or both ― in the near future.Porsche CEO Matthias Muller earlier predicted that the Macan will help the Stuttgart-based carmaker h
Aug. 31, 2014
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Renault Samsung’s workers reject wage deal
Workers of Renault Samsung Motor voted down a tentative wage deal their union had reached with management earlier this year, contending that it falls short of their expectations, the company confirmed on Sunday. The agreement was rejected on Friday, with 62.9 percent of the 2,448 union members voting against it. The union of the carmaker said it plans to hold a general meeting of workers next week to discuss the future course of action.The latest development may lead to partial walkouts similar
Aug. 31, 2014
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BMW expands footprint in Korea beyond cars
German luxury carmaker BMW, the best-selling foreign car brand in Korea for the past 14 years, is seeking a bigger footprint in Korea by expanding its presence to social contribution and research and development activities.“Elevating sales figures is not enough to maintain No. 1 status. We are making continued efforts to add value to owning a BMW in Korea,” said BMW Korea CEO Kim Hyo-joon. In July 2011, BMW Korea launched the BMW Korea Future Fund, the first charitable foundation set up by a for
Aug. 31, 2014
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Jaguar Land Rover kicks off used car business in Korea
Jaguar Land Rover Korea’s used car exhibition gallery at the auto gallery in Yangjae-dong, southern Seoul (Jaguar Land Rover Korea)Jaguar Land Rover Korea on Thursday opened a secondhand car exhibition at its auto gallery in Yangjae-dong, southern Seoul, to sell used cars that have been quality-certified by the British luxury carmaker.This is the first used car sales business in the Asia-Pacific region for the prestige automotive company. “Having the Asia-Pacific’s first used car exhibition gall
Aug. 31, 2014