As soccer player Son Heung-min and actor Lee Byung-hun recently met in Los Angeles (LA), Lee drew attention at the gathering by wearing a limited-edition golf vest from Genesis, Hyundai Motor Group's premium brand. With Son also making waves by being seen locally driving a Genesis "GV80 Coupe" himself, some analysts say Genesis has gained momentum in building its image of "young and dynamic luxury."
The Major League Soccer (MLS) office in the United States posted on Instagram on the 22nd (local time), saying, "Korean legends met," and revealed images of Lee Byung-hun and Son Heung-min. The day before, after the opening game of the 2026 season between LA FC and Inter Miami at the LA Memorial Coliseum, Lee greeted Son, who plays for LA FC, with delight.
What drew eyes there was the black padded vest Lee wore. The Genesis logo, with wings on both sides of a shield emblem, was clearly stamped on the left chest. The padded vest is presumed to be a limited edition made for the PGA Tour "2026 Genesis Invitational," held at Riviera Country Club in LA from the 19th to the 22nd.
It was confirmed that Lee wore the padded vest that day without prior communication with Genesis. A representative of Lee's agency, BH Entertainment, said, "We received an official invitation to attend the Genesis Invitational and received the vest," adding, "Wearing it when meeting Son was not for collaboration or advertising with Genesis, but simply because he liked it."
Genesis was also reportedly unaware in advance that Lee would wear the company's apparel. Lee is an actor known in Hollywood as well, having recently been nominated for a Golden Globe best actor award, a U.S. popular culture prize. Since he also met Son Heung-min, who last August received the highest transfer fee in MLS history ($26.5 million, about 38 billion won), Genesis effectively reaped major publicity without separate advertising costs.
Around the same time, Genesis also scored big marketing results through Son Heung-min. On the 22nd, online communities buzzed over footage of Son personally driving a Genesis "GV80 Coupe."
Son receives an average annual compensation of $11,152,852, including base salary, signing bonus, and marketing bonuses, and the reaction was that it was refreshing to see him in a vehicle that sells domestically in the 80 million to 100 million won range. Naturally, attention focused on the GV80 Coupe's product appeal.
Genesis said it could not confirm whether it provided the vehicle to Son, but did not deny it either. According to people in the sports industry, it seems likely that Son did not buy the Genesis himself.
One official said, "The car Son drives locally would be managed by his agency, and it seems unlikely they would give a Genesis to a player with an annual salary in the 10 billion won range," adding, "It is possible Genesis provided it."
Hyundai Motor Group has leveraged stars for overseas marketing more than once. In the early 2010s, Hyundai Motor sponsored its flagship premium sedan Equus for singer Psy, who had risen to global stardom with "Gangnam Style." As a result, various paparazzi photos and videos showed Psy getting out of an Equus, delivering solid marketing effect.
Meanwhile, Genesis is aggressively targeting the U.S. luxury car market. It sold 82,331 units in the United States last year, up 9.8% from the previous year and an all-time high. However, compared with Toyota Group's premium brand Lexus, which sold around 370,000 units in the same period, Genesis still needs to expand the brand.
In response, Genesis is expanding its lineup, preparing to launch the high-performance model "Magma" in the U.S. market in 2027. Through Magma, which spans both track and daily life, it is working to build a "young and dynamic luxury" image and differentiate itself from Lexus.
U.S. automotive outlet CarBuzz said, "Genesis is building its own high-performance brand to catch up with Lexus's stronghold," adding, "A top-tier high-performance model will give the manufacturer strength and technological superiority."