Pyeonghwa Motors
Industry | Manufacturing |
---|---|
Founded | 1999 |
Headquarters | Seoul, South Korea |
Area served | North Korea, Vietnam |
Key people | Park Sang-Kwon, CEO |
Products | Automobiles |
Owner |
Ryonbong Unification Church Pyeonghwa Motors |
Website | Official Page |
Pyeonghwa Motors (Hangul : 평화자동차) (Hancha : 平和自動車), a Korean language word for "peace", also spelled Pyonghwa, is one of the two car manufacturers and dealers in North Korean automotive industry. It is a joint venture in Nampo between Pyonghwa Motors of Seoul (South Korea), a company owned by Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church, and the North Korean Ryonbong General Corp. The joint venture produces small cars under licence from Fiat and Brilliance China Auto,[1] a pickup truck and an SUV using complete knock down kits from Chinese manufacturer Dandong Shuguang, and a luxury car of Mercedes-Benz/SsangYong design.
Pyeonghwa has the exclusive rights to car production, purchase, and sale of used cars in North Korea. However, most North Koreans are unable to afford a car. Because of the very small market for cars in the country, Pyeonghwa's output is reportedly very low. In 2003, only 314 cars were produced even though the factory had the facilities to produce up to 10,000 cars a year.[2] Erik van Ingen Schenau, author of the book Automobiles Made in North Korea, has estimated the company's total production in 2005 at not more than around 400 units.[3]
History
- 1999, April—founded by the Unification Church[4]
- 2000, January—the joint venture with Ryonbong is announced
- 2002, April—spent about $55 million to build the factory,[4][5] first production line in Nampo was completed and the first Hwiparam was produced
- 2004—Premio and Pronto introduced
- 2009—earned about $700,000 from the sale of 650 cars, $500,000 remitted to South Korea[4][5]
- 2012—Park Sang-Kwon, Pyeonghwa Motors president started talks to end investment[5]
Model list
- Hwiparam I, 2000, based on the Fiat Siena.[6]
- Hwiparam II, 2007, based on the Brilliance Junjie/BS4/M2.[6]
- Hwiparam III, 2010, based on the Brilliance FSV.[6]
- Bbeokgugi (Peokkugi) 1, 2003, based on the Fiat Doblò.[6]
- Bbeokgugi (Peokkugi) 2, 2004, based on the Shuguang SUV 4x2.[6]
- Bbeokgugi (Peokkugi) 3, 2004, based on the Shuguang Huanghai.[6]
- Bbeokgugi (Peokkugi) 4, 2005, based on the Shuguang Dawn.[6]
- Junma, 2006-2005, series production of the Junma, based on the SsangYong Chairman.[6]
- Samcheonri, 2005, based on the Jinbei Haise.[6]
Further models and partnerships
In summer 2006, the North Korean government magazine Foreign Trade, which advertises North Korean products, published a photograph of a new luxury car produced by Pyeonghwa, the Junma,[7] which appears to be a rebadged version of the South Korean SsangYong Chairman.[8][9] The Chairman bears a strong resemblance to Mercedes-Benz cars, which are favored by North Korean government officials, and is indeed based on an old Mercedes E-Class design.
In 2006, Pyeonghwa reached an agreement with Chinese manufacturer Brilliance China Auto to assemble its Jinbei Haise vans, which are based on an old version of the Toyota Hiace.[10][11]
In 2007, Pyeonghwa introduced Brilliance's Junjie car under the name Hwiparam II. The original Fiat-based Hwiparam has appeared on Pyeonghwa's web site.[12]
In 2009, Pyeonghwa announced a profit on its North Korean operations.[13]
The Premio and Pronto are also sold in Vietnam by Mekong Auto.[14] Both are based on Huanghai vehicles. Mekong Auto has sold Fiat cars in Vietnam since 1995, and this relationship may have led to Pyeonghwa assembling Fiats in North Korea.
Advertising
Pyeonghwa is currently the only company in North Korea to advertise. A series of billboards and TV commercials have been made in an effort to show residents that their country is able to produce products such as motor vehicles. The ads may be aimed primarily at expatriate businessmen in Pyongyang, but Car and Driver magazine suggests that they are actually propaganda aimed at the local population, to make them believe that their country is economically successful.[15]
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Pyonghwa Motors billboard showing the Hwiparam.
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An advertising board of "Pyeonghwa Motors" in Pyongyang.
Joint venture stockholders
- 70% Pyeonghwa Motors (Seoul) (owned by the Unification Church)
- 30% Ryonbong Corporation[4][5]
See also
References
- ↑ "Pyongwha Fiparam, el utilitario que anima la industria del automóvil de la RPDC" (in Spanish). Choson Digest. Retrieved 2011-08-08.
- ↑ http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200401/200401180004.html
- ↑ China Car Forums - View Single Post - CBA partners with Pyeonghwa Motors of North Korea
- 1 2 3 4 Ramstad, Evan (November 27, 2012). "End of the Road for North Korean Auto Maker?". Wall Street Journal -Korea RealTime. Retrieved 2012-12-06.
- 1 2 3 4 "Unification Church to wind up auto venture in NK". Yonhap. 2012-11-28. Retrieved 2012-12-05.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Pyeonghwa Motors Official Page". pyeonghwamotors.com.
- ↑ "Naenara"
- ↑ Ssangyong Chairman Limousine 4d - Global Auto Index
- ↑ http://translate.google.com/translate?js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.pyeonghwamotors.com%2Fkor%2Fboardproduct%2Fboardcontent.html%3Fcode%3DMENU38&sl=auto&tl=en&history_state0=
- ↑ CBA partners with Pyeonghwa Motors of North Korea - China Car Forums
- ↑ "Naenara"
- ↑ Chinese cars abroad - Page 5 - China Car Forums
- ↑ Pyeonghwa Sells in North Korea, Wall Street Journal, July 16, 2009
- ↑ : Welcome to Mekong Auto :
- ↑ Berkowitz, Justin (August 2010), "Cars from the "Axis of Evil": North Korea", Car and Driver, retrieved 2010-09-08
External links
- Official website
- Pyongwha brochure (PDF) on the Korean Friendship Association website
- Photos of North Korean vehicles including Pyeonghwa models, compiled by the author of Automobiles Made in North Korea
- Pyeonghwa Motors video advertisement
- Location of Pyeonghwa motors plant in Nampo: 38°45′15″N 125°24′20″E / 38.754284°N 125.405438°E
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