Korea Automobile Journalists Association Hosts "2025 Automobile Person of the Year" Awards
Industry Innovation Award Presented to Jose Munoz
Industry Merit Award Goes to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy
Public Relations Award to Eunjeon
The Korea Automobile Journalists Association held the "2025 Car Award" ceremony at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, on December 22, presenting the Innovation Award in the Industry category to Jose Munoz, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company. The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy was selected as the recipient of the Achievement Award in the Industry category.
The "2025 Car Award" ceremony recognizes individuals or organizations that have achieved remarkable results in the automotive industry and public relations fields over the past year and contributed to the advancement of the automotive sector.
Jose Munoz, who received the Innovation Award in the Industry category, was appointed in January this year as the first-ever foreign CEO of Hyundai Motor Company. He was honored for successfully overcoming challenging business conditions, strengthening Hyundai's global sales performance, and reinforcing its high-profit management system.
Jose Munoz, President and CEO of Hyundai Motor Company. Photo by Korea Automobile Journalists Association
Since the beginning of the year, the industry has faced an unprecedentedly uncertain business environment due to changes in U.S. tariff policies, the strengthening of protectionism in major countries, and intensified competition resulting from Chinese automakers' overseas expansion. Nevertheless, Munoz has led efforts to solidify Hyundai's status as a global top-tier brand by optimizing product operations for each region and focusing on high-profit sales strategies.
In particular, in the key U.S. market, he established flexible product and sales strategies tailored to market conditions, driving record-high annual sales centered on high-profit models such as hybrids and SUVs. He has also accelerated global management by launching new plants such as HMGMA in the U.S. and the Pune Plant 3 in India, as well as initiating the construction of a CKD joint plant in Saudi Arabia.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, which received the Achievement Award in the Industry category, has overseen overall trade and automotive industry policies, enabling the automotive sector to maintain stable export conditions and competitiveness amid changes in the global trade environment and uncertainties in tariffs and supply chains.
The ministry has addressed key trade issues, set policy directions for the automotive industry, and laid the groundwork to ensure that companies can continue to invest and export in a predictable environment. In addition, it has contributed to strengthening the competitiveness of the entire industry ecosystem by enhancing communication with companies, research institutes, and the field during the transition to future vehicle industries such as electrification, autonomous driving, and software-defined vehicles (SDVs).
The Public Relations Award was presented to Eunjeong Lee, Executive Director of Mercedes-Benz Korea. Since 2016, she has overseen the public relations division at Mercedes-Benz Korea, solidifying the brand's premium position in the Korean market through communication strategies befitting a top-tier brand.
She has also played a pioneering role by establishing the industry's first overseas reporting guidelines to comply with anti-graft laws, ensuring that domestic media face no disadvantages during overseas coverage. Additionally, she has been recognized for her efforts to spread the vision of future mobility through close communication with the media in response to the rapidly changing era of electrification.
Group photo of the 2025 Car Award winners. (From left) Woo-hyuk Choi, Director of Advanced Industry Policy at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (representing the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy), Yunse Lee, CEO of Ray Communication, Junghwan Heo, Vice President of Hyundai Motor Company and Kia Corporation (accepting on behalf of Jose Munoz, President of Hyundai Motor Company), Eunjeong Lee, Executive Director of Mercedes-Benz Korea. Provided by the Korea Automobile Journalists Association.
Yunse Lee, CEO of Ray Communication, who received the Public Relations Award, currently manages public relations for Peugeot and Jeep at Stellantis Korea and has previously handled communications for a variety of mobility brands, including Toyota, Lexus, Renault Korea, Maserati, Grenadier, McLaren, and Aston Martin.
Choi Daeyeol, President of the Korea Automobile Journalists Association, explained, "Established in 2019, the Car Award is intended to celebrate the achievements of automotive professionals who have contributed to the industry over the past year, as recognized by over 200 journalists from 59 media outlets, and to encourage further efforts for the industry's development in the coming year." He added, "We are pleased that this year, once again, the event has provided a platform for association journalists and automotive industry representatives to interact, and we extend our heartfelt congratulations to all the honorees."
The "2025 Car Award" ceremony, held at the Nuri Ballroom of the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul, was attended by over 230 participants, including executives and staff from the automotive industry and related organizations, as well as journalists from the association, making it a resounding success.
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