SDV와 Autonomous Driving 경쟁에서 뒤처지고 있다는 내외부의 우려 목소리에 Hyundai Motor Group Chung Eui-sun 회장은 "AI는 충분히 승산 있는 게임"이라며 이 경쟁에서 앞서가기 위해서는 "AI 원천기술을 내재화 해야한다"고 밝혔다.
On the morning of the 5th, the remark came from Hyundai Motor Group's 2026 new year meeting that was made public that morning.
Hyundai Motor Group prerecorded the new year meeting in the form of a relaxed roundtable attended by Hyundai Motor Group Chung Eui-sun and other top executives. The video was shared with employees worldwide via email and other channels.
The 2026 new year meeting began with a new year message from Hyundai Motor Group Chung Eui-sun. Following that, Chung Eui-sun, Vice Chairman Jang Jae-hoon, Hyundai Motor José Muñoz (José Muñoz) president, Kia Song Ho-sung president, Hyundai Mobis Lee Gyu-seok president, Hyundai Motor Group Luc Donckerwolke (Luc Donckerwolke) president, Sung Kim president, Manfred Harrer (Manfred Harrer) president, and Executive Vice President Kim Hye-in and other top executives candidly communicated with employees about the current management environment, this year's management direction, and new businesses.
In particular, they explained in detail to employees the development status of core future mobility technologies such as AI, SDV, and Robotics, the internalization of technology, and plans to build related ecosystems. It was in this process that the remark by Chung Eui-sun mentioned at the start was made. As can be seen from Chung's words, this year Hyundai Motor Group recognized it as a strategically important year to lead the flow of industrial transformation and to achieve sustainable growth.
Chung Eui-sun emphasized that "as the center shifts to physical AI, the value of data from moving entities such as cars and robots and from manufacturing processes that Hyundai Motor Group possesses will become increasingly scarce, and this is a powerful weapon unique to us that big tech corporations cannot easily imitate," and he said emphatically, "For Hyundai Motor Group, which has data, capital and manufacturing capabilities, AI is a game with a sufficient chance of winning."
Chung Eui-sun said, "AI is not simply a single technology but a technology that fundamentally changes the very 'way of operating' of corporations and industries, and it is a 'general intelligence technology' that for the first time in human history can define problems itself and create new knowledge, a massive paradigm-shifting technology that neutralizes past formulas for success," and he stressed the necessity of internalizing AI technology, saying, "In the wave of this change, companies that fail to internalize AI capabilities will find it difficult to guarantee their survival."
The year 2026 is expected to see accelerated competition for technological hegemony represented by AI, at the same time that uncertainty in the global management environment intensifies, including the realignment of global supply chains, a global economic slowdown and geopolitical fragmentation. In a survey conducted late last year on "the most important areas for Hyundai Motor Group to prepare for the future," employees worldwide identified "strengthening technical capabilities" as the top priority and answered that evolution in ways of working and organizational culture and growth of new businesses were needed.
This year's new year meeting was held to proactively respond to crises and to consistently pursue future businesses by clearly presenting a vision and building consensus amid these external conditions and employee perceptions.
In his new year message, Chung Eui-sun presented structural improvement derived from deep reflection from the customer's perspective, clear situational awareness that penetrates to the essence and agile decision-making, deep concern for and expanded support for supply ecosystem partners, expansion of the ecosystem through bold cooperation with various partners, and leading new standards for industry and products.
It means that based on continuous structural improvement and coexistence, Hyundai Motor Group will strengthen the competitiveness of the group and the ecosystem connected to group businesses, and pursue innovation through bold cooperation. It also expresses the will to work with ecosystem partners to overcome multi-layered crises and create new opportunities while providing better value to customers.
Regarding this year's management environment, Chung Eui-sun forecasted, "It will be a year when the risk factors we have been concerned about will become a reality before our eyes." He analyzed that 2026 will see global trade wars manifest in more varied forms, worsening the management environment and profitability, and that competitors' penetration into global markets will spread more rapidly. He also noted that geopolitical conflicts leave the possibility that business could be halted or damaged in certain regions.
To overcome this, Chung Eui-sun emphasized first and foremost structural improvement derived from deep reflection from the customer's perspective.
Chung Eui-sun said, "When the conditions around us become difficult and competition grows fiercer, the greatest support that will protect us is structural improvement that comes from deep reflection." Specifically, he said, "Have our products sufficiently reflected the customer's perspective, were there compromises in the planning or development process of the product, are we proud of our quality in front of customers—if we honestly look back at ourselves through these questions and improve, Hyundai Motor Group will not be shaken by any crisis."
Chung Eui-sun then urged clear situational awareness that penetrates the essence and agile decision-making.
Chung Eui-sun noted the need to change ways of working and said, "Leaders should not remain only looking at numbers and data; they must leave their monitors, visit the field and directly verify the essence of the situation through people."
Chung Eui-sun said, "Above all, what matters is fast and clear communication and agile decision-making unbound by formality. Reports should include one's own thoughts and conclusions and be shared quickly at the right time and place. Rather than staying in familiar frameworks and formats, we must once again ask what this work really means to customers and the company and what the real problem we need to solve now is. Based on that question, only when we boldly change methods and break frames can we realize innovation."
Chung Eui-sun also proposed deep concern for and expanded support for supply ecosystem partners, recognizing that even if Hyundai Motor Group becomes stronger through structural improvement, products that exceed customer expectations cannot be completed by internal strength alone.
Chung Eui-sun said, "The competitiveness of the supply ecosystem is our competitiveness, and only when the ecosystem is healthy can sustainable growth be possible," and he pledged, "Hyundai Motor Group will, based on deep concern for our ecosystem partners large and small, generously expand support and investment so that the industry and the national economy can grow together."
Above all, Chung Eui-sun diagnosed that global manufacturing has entered a massive industrial transformation as competition methods rapidly change with the rapid advancement of AI technology, and he emphasized that they must confront the industrial transformation triggered by AI by expanding the ecosystem through bold cooperation with various partners.
Chung Eui-sun said, "Even just looking at the automotive market, it has become an era in which the core competitiveness of products is determined by AI capability, but to be frank, global leading companies have already secured an advantage in this area through investments on the order of hundreds of trillions of won, whereas the capabilities we have secured are not yet sufficient."
However, he said, "When it comes to designing and manufacturing physical products we are globally recognized as having world-class capabilities," and he expressed confidence in Hyundai Motor Group's ability to secure competitiveness in the field of physical AI, saying, "If we look to a larger future and expand the ecosystem through bold cooperation with various partners, we will be able to provide better value to customers."
Finally, Chung Eui-sun urged, "We must lead new standards for industry and products amid these difficult changes. And we must create a future that provides customers with better value and experiences."
To that end, Chung Eui-sun emphasized the maxim of founding chairman Chung Ju-yung—"If there is no road, find a road; if you find none, make one. As long as I do not consider it a failure, it cannot be a failure"—and encouraged employees, saying, "The strongest force that has driven Hyundai Motor Group has been the spirit of taking on challenges to the end in the face of any ordeal."
Following Chung Eui-sun's new year message, a roundtable featuring top executives was held, led by Hyundai Motor Group Executive Vice President Kim Hye-in of human resources. The roundtable was organized to hear employees' opinions on "Hyundai Motor Group's future preparation" based on a pre-conducted employee survey and for executives to respond sincerely.
In particular, Chung Eui-sun explained the group's future direction centered on AI in detail, and Vice Chairman Jang Jae-hoon outlined the SDV (Software Defined Vehicle, a vehicle driven with software at its core) transition as well as strategies for Autonomous Driving, Robotics and hydrogen businesses.
At the same time, Hyundai Motor President José Muñoz, Kia President Song Ho-sung, and Hyundai Mobis President Lee Gyu-seok answered about each company's business plans, Hyundai Motor Group President Sung Kim spoke about countermeasures to strengthened uncertainty in the management environment such as geopolitical risks, Manfred Harrer spoke about Hyundai Motor Group's future core technology roadmap, and Luc Donckerwolke spoke about the importance of change and innovation.
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