Hyundai Motor Group is set to unveil a multi-billion-dollar investment along South Korea’s west coast, according to a source, as the automotive giant accelerates its push into artificial intelligence, robotics, and hydrogen infrastructure, Reuters reports.
Shares in Hyundai Motor Company jumped 10.5%, while affiliate Kia Corporation surged 15% following media reports that the group could invest around 10 trillion won, roughly 7 billion dollars, in the Saemangeum area over the next five years.
The move builds on the group’s broader domestic strategy. In November, Hyundai Motor Group announced plans to invest 125.2 trillion won in South Korea between 2026 and 2030, shortly after Seoul secured a trade agreement cutting United States tariffs on South Korean cars to 15 % from 25%. Executive Chair Euisun Chung had pledged to develop a hydrogen and AI city in the renewable energy-rich coastal region.
The investment push also follows an October agreement with Nvidia to purchase up to 50,000 AI chips and build an AI factory to advance in vehicle AI, autonomous driving, smart manufacturing and robotics. The group, which owns robotics firm Boston Dynamics, aims to establish an annual production capacity of 30,000 robot units by 2028.
The Saemangeum project is also expected to reinforce regional development efforts backed by President Lee Jae Myung, who has encouraged investment beyond Seoul to boost balanced economic growth. By anchoring high-technology manufacturing and clean-energy infrastructure on the West Coast, Hyundai could strengthen both its domestic supply chain and its global competitiveness in next-generation mobility.
