Pyeonghwa Motors
Pyeonghwa Jadongcha
평화자동차
State-owned company
Foundation1998 (age 28)
Location cityPyongyang
Location countryNorth Korea
Area servedNorth Korea, Vietnam
Key peoplePark Sang-Kwon, CEO and Chairman[1]
IndustryManufacturing
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.[citation needed] 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.[citation needed]

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.[citation needed] 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

ModelProductionStatusBody styleCountry of production
Hwiparam2002 to 2006Mass productionSaloonNorth Korea
Hwiparam IIsince 2005ImportSaloonChina
Hwiparam IIIsince 2011ImportSaloonChina
Hwiparam 1607since 2013ImportSaloonChina
Hwiparam 1613since 2013ImportSaloonChina
Paso 990since 2011Mass productionMinivanVietnam
Ppeokkugi2003 to 2004Mass productionVanNorth Korea
Ppeokkugi IIsince 2004Mass productionSUVNorth Korea
Ppeokkugi IIIsince 2004Mass productionSUV and Pick-upNorth Korea
Ppeokkugi 4WD-Asince 2009Mass productionSUVNorth Korea
Ppeokkugi 4WD-Bsince 2009Mass productionSUVNorth Korea
Ppeokkugi 4WD-Csince 2009Mass productionSUV and Pick-upVietnam
Premio DX2004 to 2009Mass productionSUV and Pick-upVietnam
Premio DX IIsince 2009Mass productionSUV and Pick-upVietnam
Premio MAXsince 2007Mass productionSUV and Pick-upVietnam
Pronto DX2004 to 2009Mass productionSUVVietnam
Pronto GSsince 2009Mass productionSUVVietnam
Samchunrisince 2005ImportMid-size vanChina
Zunma2005 to 2006ImportSaloonNorth Korea
Zunmasince 2008Mass productionSaloonNorth Korea
Zunma 1606since 2013ImportSaloonChina
Zunma 2008since 2013ImportSaloonChina

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,[17] which appears to be a rebadged version of the South Korean SsangYong Chairman.[18][19]

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.[20]

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.[21][22]

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.[23]

In 2009, Pyeonghwa announced a profit on its North Korean operations.[24]

The Premio and Pronto are also sold in Vietnam by Mekong Auto.[25] 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.[citation needed]

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.[26]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Interview of Sang Gwon Park, President of North Korea's Pyeonghwa Motors". www.tparents.org. Archived 2017-05-31 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2019-05-13.
  2. ^ Berkowitz, Justin (August 13, 2010). "Cars from North Korea: Axis of Evil". Car and Driver. Archived May 13, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. 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. ^ Power, John (2 November 2015). "Yes, North Korea makes cars, and here are the latest models". Mashable. Archived 6 April 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 27 September 2018.
  5. ^ "China Car Forums — View Single Post — Pyeonghwa Motors (DPRK) and Mekong (Vietnam)". Archived 28 January 2021 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  6. ^ Ramstad, Evan (November 27, 2012). "End of the Road for North Korean Auto Maker?". The Wall Street Journal -Korea RealTime. Archived 2012-11-29 at the Wayback Machine. 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. ^ "Unification Church to wind up auto venture in NK". Yonhap News Agency. 2012-11-28. Archived 2017-06-28 at the Wayback Machine. 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. ^ "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 17 April 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  15. ^ "ZUNMA 2008 | chinesecars". www.chinesecars.net. Retrieved 14 September 2021.
  16. ^ 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.
  17. ^ "www.kcckp.net / server maintenance". Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  18. ^ "Ssangyong Chairman Limousine 4d". Global Auto Index. Global Auto Systems Europe Kft. Archived from the original on 11 March 2008. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  19. ^ "Google Translate". Archived 8 November 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  20. ^ Hevesy, Alex (July 13, 2015). "Yes, even North Korea has its own luxury car brand". Autoweek. Archived November 8, 2020 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved November 23, 2020.
  21. ^ "Pyeonghwa Motors (DPRK) and Mekong (Vietnam) - China Car Forums". Archived 8 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  22. ^ "www.kcckp.net / server maintenance". Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  23. ^ "Chinese cars abroad — Page 5 - China Car Forums". Archived 25 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  24. ^ Pyeonghwa Sells in North Korea Archived 2017-08-09 at the Wayback Machine, Wall Street Journal, July 16, 2009
  25. ^ Mekong. "Mekong — Tin tức". Archived 6 September 2016 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 4 September 2016.
  26. ^ 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