Hyundai Motor Group, Having Lost Employees in Aviation Disaster, Postpones New Year's Gathering... Joins Wave of Mourning

New Year Gathering Postponed After National Mourning Period
Kia in Mourning After Losing Employees, Somber Atmosphere
Early Flag Lowering, Memorial Altars Set Up, External Events Canceled
Three Kia Employees Listed Among Victims

A wave of mourning continues at Hyundai Motor Group, where victims of the Jeju Air passenger plane disaster at Jeonnam Muan International Airport were employees. Hyundai Motor Group postponed the New Year's gathering, which Chairman Chung Eui-sun was scheduled to attend, and flew flags at half-mast across all Hyundai Motor and Kia workplaces. The Kia labor union also canceled its New Year's sunrise event to join in the mourning, creating an atmosphere of minimizing external activities.

On the 31st, Hyundai Motor Group announced that it would postpone the New Year's gathering originally scheduled for the 3rd of next month to the 6th. Initially, Hyundai Motor Group planned to hold the event at Hyundai Motorstudio in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province on the 3rd. The New Year's gathering is an occasion to share the group's new year management policies and goals with employees, and since 2019, Chairman Chung Eui-sun has personally attended and delivered the address every year.

However, this year, with Kia employees included among the victims of the passenger plane disaster, Hyundai Motor Group is taking a more subdued stance. Although Hyundai Motor Group held New Year's gatherings by affiliates in 2017, this is the first time the group has postponed the New Year's gathering due to external circumstances.

A Hyundai Motor Group official said, "We understand the event was postponed considering the national mourning period." The government designated a seven-day national mourning period from the 29th of last month until midnight on January 4th of next year.

Visitors paying their respects to the victims are mourning at the joint memorial altar for the Jeju Air passenger plane accident set up at Muan Sports Park in Muan-gun, Jeollanam-do. Photo by Yonhap News.

The atmosphere at Kia, where the victims of this disaster occurred, is especially heavy. Flags at half-mast were raised not only at Kia but also at all Hyundai Motor workplaces, and memorial banners were installed throughout the workplaces. Three memorial altars were set up inside Kia's Gwangju plant. Kia is operating an on-site support team for the bereaved families and plans to provide all administrative support.

The Kia labor union also canceled the New Year's sunrise event scheduled for January 1st next year. A union official from the Kia Hwaseong branch said, "As a union member belonging to the same Kia branch, I feel deep sorrow," and added, "We reluctantly canceled this event to have a time for consolation."

Among the victims of this passenger plane disaster were two employees from Kia's Gwangju plant and one employee from the Kia Tigers publicity team. Most of them boarded the aircraft for family travel, and it is known that their entire families were victims of the tragedy. In particular, the son (3 years old) of the Kia Tigers publicity team employee was identified as the youngest passenger on this flight, adding to the sorrow.