Hyundai Motor cancels its plan to participate in Tokyo Motor Show
Lee Jun-sung
Hyundai Motor has been pushing for its first participation in the Tokyo Motor Show this year since it withdrew from the Japanese market 10 years ago, but decided to withdraw the plan.
With relations between South Korea and Japan worsening extremely after the Japanese government's economic retaliation, it seems that Hyundai's participation in the motor show in Japan, which is not even a major overseas strategic market, is of little benefit.
According to automobile industry sources on July 25, Hyundai Motor has been planning to participate in "2019 Tokyo Motor Show" that will be held from Oct. 24, but has recently decided to boycott the show.
Since it already withdrew from the Japanese passenger car market in 2009, Hyundai has intermittently showcased some commercial vehicles, including buses and trucks, at the Tokyo Motor Show until 2013, but did not participate in passenger car exhibitions.
Currently, only a minimum number of employees are still available for the sale and management of Universe at the Hyundai's local corporation HMJ.
However, as eco-friendly cars are showing steady strength in the Japanese auto market, Hyundai Motor has also been making behind-the-scenes preparations to take a first-hand look at the local market's reaction to clean mobility technology, which focuses on hydrogen-electric vehicles "Nexo."
Moreover, Hyundai Motor is competing fiercely with Japanese brand hydrogen electric vehicles such as Toyota and Honda in the global market, and it also has a symbol of introducing superior technology in Japan.
Hyundai Motor Group Vice Chairman Chung Eui-sun also visited Japan for the second consecutive month on July 18 following his attendance at the G20 meeting last month, inspecting market conditions and taking preemptive measures and management.
Meanwhile, it is unclear whether Hyundai will participate in the FC (Hydrogen Fuel Cell) Expo in Tokyo at the end of February next year if the economic conflict between Korea and Japan continues for a long time until the end of this year.
The FC Expo next year will take place in the run-up to the "2020 Tokyo Olympics," which will feature the hydrogen Olympics, so Hyundai Motor has applied for the participation for the first time in its history.
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