SEOUL: Heirs of South Korea's top two conglomerates — Samsung and Hyundai Motor — discussed possible cooperation in the electric vehicle (EV) and mobility businesses, Yonhap news agency reported, according to the groups today.
Samsung's de facto leader Lee Jae Yong shared his views on future mobility solutions with Hyundai Motor Group executive vice chairman Chung Euisun following his visit to the automaker's Namyang Research & Development Centre in Hwaseong, south of here.
Lee was accompanied by Samsung Electronics' chip business chief Kim Ki Nam, Samsung SDI chief executive officer Jun Young Hyun and Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology head Hwang Sung Woo.
They reportedly exchanged ideas with Hyundai officials on the automaker's urban air mobility strategy and robotics technology. Samsung executives also inspected Hyundai's autonomous driving vehicles and hydrogen-powered cars in development, industry sources said.
Lee's visit comes two months after Chung made a trip to Samsung SDI Co's EV battery plant in Cheonan, 90km south of here, where the two moguls discussed electric car battery technology.
Samsung SDI is a Samsung subsidiary that makes EV and smartphone batteries.
Industry insiders said the latest meeting will be a good opportunity for the two to seek collaboration in the fast-growing mobility sector.
Hyundai is seeking to sell more than 1 million EVs and take a market share of at least 10 per cent by 2025.
