U.S. highway safety agency recognizes GM Korea

GM Korea said yesterday it has received an award from the U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) for its contributions to motor vehicle safety during opening day of the 23rd International Technical Conference on the Enhanced Safety of Vehicles, or ESV, at COEX in southern Seoul.

The nation’s third-largest automaker said that Kim Dong-suk, who is the company’s director of safety integration, was honored for his work in helping GM’s small cars meet top global safety standards.

The Chevrolet Cruze and Aveo (also known as Sonic overseas) were both named Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, or IIHS, Top Safety Picks and received five-star safety ratings in U.S. New Car Assessment Program, or NCAP, testing conducted by NHTSA. According to the carmaker, Aveo was the first small car in the U.S. to obtain a maximum five stars for crashworthiness, including front and side crashes.