Euisun Chung, chairman of Hyundai Motor Group, received a diplomatic medal from the Czech government.
On the 10th, according to Ivan Jancarek, the Czech ambassador to South Korea, Jancarek presented the diplomatic medal to Chairman Chung at Hyundai Motor Group's headquarters in Yangjae-dong, Seoul. Also present were Seong Kim, president of Hyundai Motor, and Kim Il-beom, vice president.
Jancarek noted, "I am very honored to present the medal on behalf of Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky," and added, "I sincerely congratulate and thank Chairman Chung for the tremendous activities he has undertaken."
This diplomatic medal is interpreted as a recognition of Hyundai Motor's operation of its factory in the Czech Republic for 17 years. The Hyundai Motor Czech factory, located in Nosovice, has served as a production base for the group's European market strategy since its establishment in 2008.
The annual production capacity is around 300,000 units, and since 2020, it has primarily produced eco-friendly vehicles such as the Kona Electric, Tucson Hybrid, and Tucson Plug-in Hybrid. Chairman Chung stated during his visit to the Czech factory in September last year, "The Czech factory is a key hub for eco-friendly mobility."
There are analyses suggesting that the Czech factory has played a significant role in helping Hyundai Motor establish itself as a "national corporation" in the Czech Republic by contributing to local job creation. Hyundai Motor Group has also consistently engaged in community service activities through the Czech factory. In September last year, to assist the Moravian-Silesian region hard-hit by Storm Boris in Central and Eastern Europe, Hyundai Motor's Czech subsidiary donated 10 million koruna (approximately 6 billion won) to the local nonprofit organization "People in Need."
This is not the first time Chairman Chung has received a medal abroad. He was awarded the Order of the British Empire by King Charles III of the United Kingdom in 2023. At that time, Chairman Chung was recognized for his contributions to increasing the distribution of eco-friendly vehicles in Britain and for long-term support of the Tate Museum, a representative art museum in the UK, thereby enhancing economic and cultural cooperation between Korea and the UK.