Pyeonghwa Motors

Pyeonghwa Motors
Pyeonghwa Jadongcha
평화자동차
Company typeState-owned company
IndustryManufacturing
Founded1998 (1998)
Headquarters
Pyongyang
,
North Korea
Area served
North Korea, Vietnam
Key people
Park Sang-Kwon, CEO and Chairman[1]
ProductsAutomobiles
OwnerRyonbong
Unification Church

Pyeonghwa Motors (Hangul : 평화자동차; Hancha : 平和自動車 – a Korean language word for "peace"),[2] also spelled Pyonghwa, is one of the two car manufacturers and dealers in the North Korean automotive industry, alongside Sungri Motor Plant. Until 2013, it was a joint venture in Nampo between Pyonghwa Motors of Seoul (South Korea), a company owned by Sun Myung Moon's Unification Church, and the North Korean Ryonbong General Corp. The joint venture produced small cars under licence from Fiat and Brilliance China Auto,[3] a pickup truck and an SUV using complete knock down kits from Chinese manufacturer Dandong Shuguang, and a luxury car of SsangYong design. From 2013, the company has been fully owned by the North Korean state.[4]

Erik van Ingen Schenau, author of the book Automobiles Made in North Korea, has estimated the company's total production in 2005 at not more than around 400 units.[5]

History

Pyeonghwa Motors was officially founded by the Unification Church.[6] The venture came during the period of the Sunshine Policy between North and South Korea, when sanctions on the country were not as tough.[7] The venture was announced in 2000.

In 2002, around $55 million was set aside to build the factory,[6][8] with which the first production line in Nampo was completed and the first Hwiparam was produced. The Premio and Pronto were later introduced in 2004.

In 2009, PM earned about $700,000 from the sale of 650 cars, with $500,000 remitted to South Korea.[6][8] Park Sang-Kwon, Pyeonghwa Motors president, started talks to end investment in 2012.[8]

The Unification Church officially transferred all investment to Pyongyang in 2013.[4]

Production

Pyeonghwa holds the exclusive rights to car production, as well as the purchase and sale of used cars in North Korea. However, most North Koreans are unable to afford a car. Due to the very small market for cars in the country, Pyeonghwa's output is reportedly quite low; in 2003, only 314 cars were produced, despite the factory's capacity to produce up to 10,000 cars per year.[9]

Model list

Model Production Status Body style Country of production
Hwiparam 2002 to 2006 Mass production Saloon North Korea
Hwiparam II since 2005 Import Saloon China
Hwiparam III since 2011 Import Saloon China
Hwiparam 1607 since 2013 Import Saloon China
Hwiparam 1613 since 2013 Import Saloon China
Paso 990 since 2011 Mass production Minivan Vietnam
Ppeokkugi 2003 to 2004 Mass production Van North Korea
Ppeokkugi II since 2004 Mass production SUV North Korea
Ppeokkugi III since 2004 Mass production SUV and Pick-up North Korea
Ppeokkugi 4WD-A since 2009 Mass production SUV North Korea
Ppeokkugi 4WD-B since 2009 Mass production SUV North Korea
Ppeokkugi 4WD-C since 2009 Mass production SUV and Pick-up Vietnam
Premio DX 2004 to 2009 Mass production SUV and Pick-up Vietnam
Premio DX II since 2009 Mass production SUV and Pick-up Vietnam
Premio MAX since 2007 Mass production SUV and Pick-up Vietnam
Pronto DX 2004 to 2009 Mass production SUV Vietnam
Pronto GS since 2009 Mass production SUV Vietnam
Samchunri since 2005 Import Mid-size van China
Zunma 2005 to 2006 Import Saloon North Korea
Zunma since 2008 Mass production Saloon North Korea
Zunma 1606 since 2013 (?) Import Saloon China
Zunma 2008 since 2013 (?) Import Saloon China

Hwiparam model range

Bbeokgugi model range

Samcheonri model range

Changjeon model range

Zunma model range

Further models and partnerships

In summer 2006, the North Korean government magazine Foreign Trade of the DPRK, which advertises North Korean products, published a photograph of a new luxury car produced by Pyeonghwa, the Junma,[20] which appears to be a rebadged version of the South Korean SsangYong Chairman.[21][22]

The Junma bears a strong resemblance to SsangYong cars, specifically the Chairman, which are favored by North Korean government officials.[2] The Chairman is based on an old Mercedes E-Class design.[23]

In 2006, Pyeonghwa reached an agreement with Chinese manufacturer Brilliance China Auto to assemble its Jinbei Haise vans, which are based on an old version of the Toyota HiAce.[24][25]

In 2007, Pyeonghwa introduced Brilliance's Junjie car under the name Hwiparam II. The original Fiat-based Hwiparam has appeared on Pyeonghwa's web site.[26]

In 2009, Pyeonghwa announced a profit on its North Korean operations.[27]

The Premio and Pronto are also sold in Vietnam by Mekong Auto.[28] Both are based on Huanghai vehicles. Mekong Auto has sold Fiat cars in Vietnam since 1995, and this relationship may have led to Pyeonghwa assembling Fiats in North Korea.

Advertising

Pyeonghwa is currently the only company in North Korea to advertise. A series of billboards and TV commercials have been made in an effort to show residents that their country is able to produce products such as motor vehicles. The ads may be aimed primarily at expatriate businessmen in Pyongyang, but Car and Driver magazine suggests that they are actually propaganda aimed at the local population, to make them believe that their country is economically successful.[29]

  • Pyonghwa Motors billboard showing the Hwiparam.
  • An advertising board of "Pyeonghwa Motors" in Pyongyang.

See also

References

  1. ^ "Interview of Sang Gwon Park, President of North Korea's Pyeonghwa Motors". www.tparents.org. Archived from the original on 2017-05-31. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
  2. ^ a b Berkowitz, Justin (August 13, 2010). "Cars from North Korea: Axis of Evil". Car and Driver. Archived from the original on May 13, 2019. Retrieved May 13, 2019.
  3. ^ "Pyongwha Fiparam, el utilitario que anima la industria del automóvil de la RPDC" (in Spanish). Choson Digest. Archived from the original on 2011-08-08. Retrieved 2011-08-08.
  4. ^ a b Power, John (2 November 2015). "Yes, North Korea makes cars, and here are the latest models". Mashable. Archived from the original on 6 April 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  5. ^ "China Car Forums — View Single Post — Pyeonghwa Motors (DPRK) and Mekong (Vietnam)". Archived from the original on 28 January 2021. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  6. ^ a b c Ramstad, Evan (November 27, 2012). "End of the Road for North Korean Auto Maker?". The Wall Street Journal -Korea RealTime. Archived from the original on 2012-11-29. Retrieved 2012-12-06.
  7. ^ "North Korean Cars: Pyonghwa Motors". Visit North Korea. 2019-06-24. Archived from the original on 2019-10-07. Retrieved 2019-06-24.
  8. ^ a b c "Unification Church to wind up auto venture in NK". Yonhap News Agency. 2012-11-28. Archived from the original on 2017-06-28. Retrieved 2012-12-05.
  9. ^ "The Chosun Ilbo (English Edition): Daily News from Korea". Archived from the original on 26 May 2008. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Pyeonghwa Motors Official Page". pyeonghwamotors.com. Archived from the original on 2013-04-08.
  11. ^ "Cars of North Korea: Pyonghwa part 2". 26 September 2020.
  12. ^ "HWIPARAM 1607".
  13. ^ "HWIPARAM 1613".
  14. ^ "pyeonghwa motors corporation: North Korea has its own automaker that you may know nothing about — Times of India". The Times of India. 2 April 2017. Archived from the original on 17 April 2023. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  15. ^ "Cars of North Korea: Pyonghwa part 2". 26 September 2020.
  16. ^ "Cars of North Korea: Pyonghwa part 2". 26 September 2020.
  17. ^ "Cars of North Korea: Pyonghwa part 2". 26 September 2020.
  18. ^ "ZUNMA 2008 | chinesecars". www.chinesecars.net. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  19. ^ Text on all sources online for the Zunma 2008 is wrong, the CC is not shown, instead the Chinese FAW-Volkswagen Magotan, can be compared with Magotan images online.
  20. ^ "www.kcckp.net / server maintenance". Retrieved 4 September 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  21. ^ "Ssangyong Chairman Limousine 4d". Global Auto Index. Global Auto Systems Europe Kft. Archived from the original on 11 March 2008. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  22. ^ "Google Translate". Archived from the original on 8 November 2012. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  23. ^ Hevesy, Alex (July 13, 2015). "Yes, even North Korea has its own luxury car brand". Autoweek. Archived from the original on November 8, 2020. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  24. ^ "Pyeonghwa Motors (DPRK) and Mekong (Vietnam) - China Car Forums". Archived from the original on 8 October 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  25. ^ "www.kcckp.net / server maintenance". Retrieved 4 September 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link)
  26. ^ "Chinese cars abroad — Page 5 - China Car Forums". Archived from the original on 25 March 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  27. ^ Pyeonghwa Sells in North Korea Archived 2017-08-09 at the Wayback Machine, Wall Street Journal, July 16, 2009
  28. ^ Mekong. "Mekong — Tin tức". Archived from the original on 6 September 2016. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  29. ^ Berkowitz, Justin (August 2010), "Cars from the "Axis of Evil": North Korea", Car and Driver, archived from the original on 2010-09-05, retrieved 2010-09-08
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