Seoul: Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Corp. will collaborate with the government and 87 auto parts manufacturers in a joint campaign to reduce carbon emissions from the entire automotive sector, the industry ministry announced.

According to Lao News Agency, under this partnership, Hyundai and Kia will initially support the replacement of emission reduction facilities for first-tier auto parts suppliers in cooperation with the government, as outlined by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources. The first-tier suppliers will then extend the support they receive to second-tier suppliers, aiming to create a chain effect of carbon reduction throughout the automotive supply chain.

The ministry explained that this collaboration project was designed to enhance the emission reduction competitiveness of Korea’s automotive industry, in light of increasing emission-related regulations in major economies, such as the European Union’s carbon footprint regulations for vehicles.

“Carbon reduction in supply chains cannot be achieved by any single company alone,” stated Park Dong-il, a ministry official in charge of industrial policy. “It requires collaboration among the government, large corporations, and small and medium-sized companies.”

Park added, “We hope that this supply chain carbon reduction agreement will not only help the country achieve its 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) target, but also accelerate the green transformation of our industries and provide them an advantage in global supply chain competition.”

The Republic of Korea recently set its NDC target for greenhouse gas emission reduction at 53-61 percent from 2018 levels by 2035. The ministry plans to conduct pilot programs on the emission reduction partnership this year with four different industrial consortiums, led by LG Electronics Inc., POSCO Group, LX Hausys Ltd., and LG Chem Ltd., with the intention to expand such partnership programs to various sectors in 2026.