Hyundai, Naver to work together on connected car systems

Hyundai Motor President Chi Young-cho, left, and Naver CEO Han Seong-sook pose for a photo after signing an agreement Friday to collaborate on future mobility at Naver Green Factory in Seongnam, Gyeonggi. [HYUNDAI MOTOR]

Hyundai Motor and Naver, the biggest automaker and portal operator in Korea, will collaborate on various aspects of future mobility under an agreement signed Friday.

Under a newly signed memorandum of understanding, the two companies will cooperate on creating content and services for connected cars. They will also work on finding business models in which they can work together with small and midsize enterprises.

One of the first services to launch with input from both Hyundai Motor and Naver will be enabling passengers to access various Naver services through Hyundai Motor cars’ infotainment systems, such as maps, search engines, shopping, webtoons and music streaming.

Advanced connectivity such as receiving alarms from Naver when the vehicle needs to be inspected or picked up after a service will also be available as early as next year.

“By merging the automotive industry and ICT, [Hyundai Motor] will innovate customer service and improve mobility convenience,” said Chi Young-cho, head of Hyundai Motor’s strategy and technology division.

New services under Naver and Hyundai Motor will be introduced from next year.

“Hyundai Motor and Naver will continue to collaborate on connected vehicles, eco-friendly cars and purpose-built vehicles to find new business opportunities in rising segments in future mobility,” said the carmaker in a statement Sunday.

BY JIN EUN-SOO [jin.eunsoo@joongang.co.kr]