The duty-free shop in Seoul's Jeong-dong 2-ga is well-versed in the consumption trends of Chinese shoppers. The staff here are familiar with the popular items recommended by internet celebrities on Xiaohongshu, and they fluently introduce the new products on display to Chinese consumers in Mandarin. They carry small calculators to show you the prices of the goods converted into Chinese yuan at the earliest opportunity...

However, not far from here, at the headquarters of Hyundai Motor Company, executives are still contemplating new ways to attract Chinese car consumers. Yes, even if you don't follow the automotive industry, it's not hard to notice that Korean cars are not as popular as they were a few years ago. But when a plane departing from Beijing lands at Busan's Gimhae Airport, you can't help but marvel at the ubiquity of Hyundai, Kia, Genesis, and Renault Samsung cars, which are so deeply ingrained in the city's fabric. Not only in the South Korean market, but in fact, Korean cars are exuding vitality around the world.

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Hyundai Motor Group delivered global vehicle sales of 6.848 million units in 2022 and over 7.3 million units in 2023, ranking in the top three in global car sales for two consecutive years. Hyundai Motor Group is by no means "selling at a loss for attention." In terms of operating profit, according to the disclosed data, Hyundai Motor Group's operating profit in the first quarter of 2024 was 6.98 trillion won (approximately 36.854 billion yuan), with an operating profit margin of 10.4%, the highest globally.

Of course, behind all of this, there is also a need for the efficient production capacity of the factories as support. At Hyundai Motor Group's Ulsan factory, the annual production in 2023 was 1,579,297 vehicles. Of these, 1,039,535 were exported to every corner of the world. The Ulsan factory also seems to be the most suitable for exporting vehicles, as it is adjacent to the only port used for exporting cars. It takes just a few minutes by car from the Ulsan factory to the port's parking lot. There, we happened to encounter a cargo ship with a capacity of up to 6,000 cars waiting quietly...

According to the introduction of relevant personnel, it takes about 3 days to transport from Ulsan to the domestic market. If you have just purchased a Hyundai Palisade or a Genesis brand model, perhaps one of the cars I see here could be yours.At the product level, Hyundai Motor Group has become a powerhouse in winning world-class awards. For instance, on March 27th, at the New York Auto Show, the 2024 World Car Awards (WCA) ceremony took place, where the Hyundai IONIQ 5 N was crowned the "World Performance Car of the Year." The IONIQ 5 N was in competition with the BMW M2 and the BMW XM for this prestigious title.

On another note, the Kia EV9 secured two major awards: "World Car of the Year" and "World Electric Vehicle of the Year."

Prior to these accolades, the Hyundai IONIQ 5 and IONIQ 6 had already received the World Car of the Year, World Car Design of the Year, and World Electric Vehicle awards for 2022 and 2023. This means that Hyundai Motor Group has been on the podium of the World Car Awards for three consecutive years.

While the awards for the IONIQ 5, IONIQ 5 N, IONIQ 6, and Kia EV9 might be seen as benefiting from the trend towards electrification, once you experience these products, even if only briefly, you will find that the feedback from these vehicles resonates deeply.

For example, the IONIQ 5 N boasts an unparalleled simulated engine sound and the impact of its 8-speed dual-clutch transmission shifts; the IONIQ 6 offers a floating sensation with its suspension; and the Kia EV9 provides a soothing rear seat for weary travelers and a thoughtfully designed ergonomic layout with its buttons and controls...Among them, the IONIQ 5 N is the only Hyundai brand pure electric vehicle available for sale in the domestic market, with a pre-sale price of 3.988 million yuan. This seemingly high price is actually cheaper than in South Korea (where the price is around 4.2 million yuan), even though it is a model produced in South Korea.

With its high price, high performance, and niche market, the IONIQ 5 N is not a volume model in the domestic market. Hyundai Motor Group's introduction of such a model that does not seem to bring high returns is clearly to showcase Hyundai's technological strength through the IONIQ 5 N. In addition, the person in charge of Hyundai Motor also stated that the future technology transfer of the IONIQ 5 N is one of the important reasons for introducing this car. They hope to gain more data through the IONIQ 5 N to benefit more models.

It is not difficult to see that Hyundai hopes to use the IONIQ 5 N to make Chinese consumers re-recognize Hyundai. After all, many people's perception of Korean cars is still in the era when Hyundai Elantras in yellow and green colors were shuttling through Beijing as taxis.

In fact, the technological strength of Hyundai Motor Group is also spreading the results of technological accumulation on more affordable models: the neat and clear suspension of the Kia K5, the rare driving pleasure on the Genesis G70, and the convenient physical button layout on the Hyundai Palisade... All of these depict some excellent product strengths that are rarely seen in some domestic brands.

However, what Korean cars need more is for more consumers to be willing to walk into Hyundai's 4S stores to experience this product strength.

Therefore, the long-term single living environment and the information cocoon woven by the internet have given us the illusion that Korean cars are on the verge of decline, ignoring the real scene of Korean cars blossoming globally. It's like when you are immersed in the beautiful scenery of poetry and distance on Xiaohongshu, ignoring the reality that there are still 1 billion people who have never taken a plane.