November 24, 2024

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The Genesis G90 (Yonhap)

Hyundai Motor Group said Friday that it had joined hands with the Korean government’s preparatory committee to provide official transportation at the first Korea-Africa summit in June.

Under the partnership, the automaker’s luxury brand Genesis will offer a total of 119 vehicles -- 77 units of the G90 flagship sedan and 42 units of the G80 luxury mid-sized sedan during the Korea-Africa summit slated to be held between June 4 and 5 in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province.

The Genesis G90 has been recognized as one of the most desirable vehicles in the luxury segment worldwide, as it was honored with the 2023 Car of the Year award by American auto magazine MotorTrend.

Genesis has sold over 400,000 units of the G80 since its launch in 2016, leading the luxury brand’s milestone of surpassing 1 million sales across the globe. It also won a five-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s safety test in November last year.

About 50 delegations from African countries and relevant international organizations have been invited to take part in the Korea-Africa summit. Over 10,000 leaders from African countries, global bodies, and major businesses are expected to head to Korea.

The summit will discuss ways to expand cooperation between Korea and African countries in industry, trade, and resources and strengthen partnerships on the global stage.

Africa has recently risen to a major economic region with its overall gross domestic product reaching over $3 trillion last year. The population of the entire African continent is projected to hit 1.7 billion by 2035, featuring high growth potential for the future.

The strategic importance of Africa as a crucial part of the global supply chain for automakers has come under the limelight due to its ample reserves of electric vehicle battery’s key minerals such as cobalt, nickel, lithium, manganese, and graphite.

“It’s very meaningful that we will support official vehicles for the first summit between Korea and Africa,” said a Hyundai Motor Group official.

“Contributing to a successful summit, we expect the event to be an opportunity to showcase Hyundai Motor Group’s excellent product competitiveness and technology.”

By Kan Hyeong-woo (hwkan@heraldcorp.com)
The Korea Herald