- The Korea-America Association announced the Korea-US Friendship Award at the 20th Korea-US Friendship Night on the 22nd.

- The late Former Chairman of Hyundai Motor and Honorary Chairman of Hyundai Development Company, Chung Se-yung, was posthumously honored with the Korea-US Friendship Award.

 

On the 22nd, the Korea-America Association (Chairman: Choi Jung-kyung) presented the "Korea-US Friendship Award" to the late Former Chairman of Hyundai Motor and Honorary Chairman of Hyundai Development Company, Chung Se-yung, at the 20th "Korea-US Friendship Night" event held at the Grand Walkerhill Seoul in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul.

 

The Korea-US Friendship Award is bestowed by the Korea-America Association, founded in 1963 to promote mutual understanding and friendship between South Korea and the United States. The award recognizes individuals who have significantly contributed to fostering friendship and goodwill between the two countries. Since 2002, recipients have been selected annually.

 

This year, the Korea-America Association selected the late Chung Se-yung, former chairman of Hyundai Motor and honorary chairman of Hyundai Development Company, as the recipient of the Korea-US Friendship Award. The association stated, "He played a pivotal role in establishing a bridge between South Korea and the United States through the automobile industry, introducing Hyundai Motor's iconic 'Pony,' the first indigenous model in Korea, and laying the foundation for the global growth of the Korean automotive industry."

 

Late Honorary Chairman Chung Se-yung is often referred to as the father of the Korean automotive industry for his leadership in developing the first domestically produced car, the Pony (PONY). After joining Hyundai Construction in 1957, he co-founded Hyundai Motor with Chairman Chung Joo-yung in 1967. Through the development of unique models and exports, he transformed the company into a global enterprise. From 1987, he served concurrently as chairman of Hyundai Group and Hyundai Motor, contributing to the growth and export of industries such as automobiles, heavy industries, construction, and chemicals, thus contributing to national development. After assuming the position of chairman of Hyundai Development Company in 1999, he continued to advance the construction industry by incorporating the strengths of the automotive sector until his retirement in 2005.

 

The late Honorary Chairman's eldest son, Chung Mong-gyu, Chairman of HDC Group, expressed his gratitude through a video message due to his absence while attending the Qatar World Cup. He stated, "To my late father, the United States was a land of opportunity and challenge. Without the partnership with the United States, the Korean automotive industry wouldn't have achieved exceptional growth. My father would have been immensely pleased that his sincere efforts to strengthen the friendship between Korea and the United States, which opened the doors to your dreams and Korea's potential, are being recognized by both countries."

 

At the event organized by the Korea-America Association, approximately 300 individuals from both countries, including representatives from the Ministry of National Defense, the U.S. Embassy in South Korea, U.S. Forces Korea, the Korea-U.S. Combined Forces Command, the American Chamber of Commerce in Korea, and Korea-America Association members, attended. The late Honorary Chairman's grandson and Chung Mong-gyu's eldest son, Chung Jun-sun, a professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), accepted the award on his behalf, adding further significance to the occasion. End.

 


 

[Photo 1] The late Former Chairman of Hyundai Motor and Honorary Chairman of HDC Group (formerly Hyundai Development Company), Chung Se-yung, received the Korea-US Friendship Award on behalf of his late grandfather, Chung Jun-sun, a professor at KAIST.

 

[Photo 2] On the afternoon of the 22nd, at the 20th Korea-US Friendship Night held at the Grand Walkerhill Seoul in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, Chairman Choi Jung-kyung of the Korea-America Association presented the Korea-US Friendship Award to the late Former Chairman of Hyundai Motor and Honorary Chairman of HDC Group (formerly Hyundai Development Company).

 


 

[Photo 3] On the afternoon of the 22nd, at the 20th Korea-US Friendship Night held at the Grand Walkerhill Seoul in Gwangjin-gu, Seoul, Chairman Choi Jung-kyung of the Korea-America Association presented the Korea-US Friendship Award to the late Former Chairman of Hyundai Motor and Honorary Chairman of HDC Group (formerly Hyundai Development Company). The photo shows a scene from the 1981 Detroit Auto Parts Show.