Hyundai Motor Group Thirsty for Talent, Rush to Recruit Government and IT Experts

Recruiting Officials from Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Welcoming IT Talent in Line with SDV Transition

Last Monday, two newly appointed executive directors started commuting to Hyundai Motor Company. Employees still find it difficult to talk easily with the new executives because both were government officials until recently. This awkwardness is similar in other departments as well. The company, which used to only manufacture cars, is now attracting professionals active in various fields such as information technology (IT).

Recently, Hyundai Motor Group has been aggressively recruiting external talent like a thirsty person. Mainly former government officials and IT industry figures are the main players. This move is to respond to the growing external risks and the core software (SW) of future vehicles.

Kim Dong-jo, former Blue House foreign press spokesperson, is one of the former government officials who started working at Hyundai Motor on the 5th. Kim, a graduate of Kyung Hee University’s Department of Trade, began his public service career after passing the Foreign Service Examination (32nd class). He also worked as the Blue House foreign press spokesperson in early 2016 during the Park Geun-hye administration. Kim Yong-tae, former head of the Renewable Energy Industry Division at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, also started commuting to Hyundai Motor on the same day as Kim Dong-jo.

The movement of government officials to Hyundai Motor is ongoing. Kim Il-beom, former presidential protocol secretary, is scheduled to join Hyundai Motor Group in July. Kim, who is being recruited at the vice president level, graduated from Yonsei University’s Department of Political Science and Diplomacy and ranked first in the Foreign Service Examination (33rd class). He served as an interpreter for former presidents Kim Dae-jung, Roh Moo-hyun, and Lee Myung-bak. In 2019, he moved to SK Group and served as vice president of the SUPEX Council. Afterward, following President Yoon Suk-yeol’s election, he served as the foreign press and public relations advisor to the president-elect. All three are expected to be responsible for government relations.

The recruitment of government relations talent is analyzed as an effort to actively manage the growing external risks. In the past, external risks were domestic issues. However, as Hyundai Motor has risen to become the world’s third-largest automaker, the scale of external risks has changed. It must negotiate with governments worldwide. The global automotive market has entered a period of upheaval. Various countries are implementing policies for their own interests, such as the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), the European Union (EU) Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM), and the Critical Raw Materials Act (CRMA). The newly joined executives from government backgrounds are experts in these global common policies. Since these issues cannot be addressed solely at the corporate level, these individuals can build close relationships with governments, including foreign governments.

An industry insider said, "Hyundai Motor has recently been facing many concerns related to trade issues," adding, "It seems they needed people with rich experience and capabilities in those areas." He also added, "They are also necessary for supporting the hosting of the Expo, which is the biggest task of the current government."

Additionally, Hyundai Motor has recruited a large number of external IT personnel over the past year. Hyundai Motor declared that it will make all vehicles software-defined vehicles (SDV) by 2025. To this end, it acquired FortyTwoDot and plans to invest 18 trillion won in related fields by 2030.

Among the IT-related talents recruited by Hyundai Motor, two are from NHN: Kim Jin-woo and Oh Jun-hwan. They are serving as head of the Service Platform Development Office and head of the Service Development Office, respectively. Seo Bo-guk, a former vice president of Kakao Enterprise, is the head of the Infrastructure Service Office. Chae Jung-seok, formerly of Samsung Electronics SOC marketing, is also active as head of the Semiconductor Strategy Office.

The same applies to other fields. Lee Dong-ho, who came from PwC Consulting, is currently head of ERP Operations. In addition, Do Young-jin, formerly of Bain & Company, is the head of the Future Management Research Center. Furthermore, Kim Jung-gyu, a lawyer from the law firm Hwawoo, serves as head of Legal Office 3 and leads the IT Legal Team.

Affiliates have also focused on recruiting IT experts. Hyundai Mobis recruited Park Cheol-hong, formerly of Samsung Electronics, as executive director in charge of semiconductor business. He has held executive positions at Samsung Electronics Semiconductor Research Institute and the Logic Semiconductor Development Team. Hyundai Glovis brought in Yang Ho-seok, who has served as CISO (Chief Information Security Officer) and CTO (Chief Technology Officer) at SSG.com and E-Land World, as head of the DT Innovation Office. He was recruited to respond to the digital transformation trend sweeping the logistics industry. Hyundai AutoEver recently hired Jung Soo-hwan, formerly of Naver Cloud, as head of the Cloud Technology Business Division on the 7th. He will serve as the overall commander of the cloud business at Hyundai AutoEver.

Hyundai Motor is rising from Korea’s largest automaker to the world’s largest automaker. It is a time when different talents are needed compared to the past. It is highly likely that more people will move to Hyundai Motor.