Mercedes-Benz to strengthen ties with Korean businesses

“I don’t think we build a single Mercedes around the world without a piece of Korea in those cars,” Ola Kallenius, board chairman and CEO at Mercedes-Benz, said at a press conference held in central Seoul on Thursday.

Mercedes-Benz Chairman Ola Kallenius speaks during a press conference held in central Seoul on Thursday. [MERCEDES-BENZ KOREA]

Mercedes-Benz will forge stronger ties with Korean businesses amid the accelerating automotive electrification, the German carmaker’s chief executive vowed during his two-day visit to Seoul.

“I don’t think we build a single Mercedes around the world without a piece of Korea in those cars,” Ola Kallenius, board chairman and CEO at Mercedes-Benz, said at a press conference held in central Seoul on Thursday.

“From a technology point of view, Korea is hugely important to us in many different technical verticals,” Kallenius added, also stressing that the carmaker’s partnership with Korean suppliers extends beyond electric vehicle batteries.

“We will work with our partners here in the areas [that] we are cooperating on to future-proof our business.”

Mercedes-Benz Chairman Ola Kallenius, right, and Faker, a legendary Esports player, pose for a photo during a press conference held in central Seoul on Thursday. [MERCEDES-BENZ KOREA]

The latest trip marked the Mercedes-Benz chief’s first official visit to Korea since he took office in 2019. Kallenius’ two-day schedule began on Wednesday when he met with executives from the carmaker’s major suppliers in Korea.

Kallenius met SK Group Vice Chairman Chey Jae-won at SK headquarters in central Seoul to discuss the possible expansion of the companies’ cooperation in EVs. Chey, the younger brother of SK chief Chey Tae-won, serves as the co-CEO of SK On, the battery maker.

He also met with Kwon Bong-seok, LG Corporation vice chairman, and Jeong Ho-young, LG Display CEO, on Thursday at LG Display’s headquarters in western Seoul with executives from both companies in attendance.

LG Display supplies automotive OLED display screens for Mercedes-Benz’s EQS and EGE models. The two companies have been working together since 2004.

During the press conference on Thursday, Kallenius gave an overview of Mercedes-Benz’s plan for electrification and decarbonization, dubbed “Ambition 2039,” which aims to go all-electric by 2030 if market conditions allow and achieve carbon neutrality across its entire value chain by 2030.

Faker, a legendary esports player whose real name is Lee Sang-hyeok, also made an appearance at the conference as Mercedes-Benz signed a sponsorship with Faker's League of Legends team T1 in May.

The carmaker’s all-electric Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV and Vision AMG concept car were displayed in Korea for the first time during the Thursday event. Mercedes-Maybach EQS SUV made its Shanghai debut in April.

Mercedes-Benz Korea sold 80,976 cars last year, a record figure in the country, driven by strong sales of top-tier luxury models such as Mercedes-Maybach S-Class sedans and the Mercedes-Maybach GLS SUV. It also sold the highest number of EVs among import car brands in Korea during the first half of the year.

BY SHIN HA-NEE [shin.hanee@joongang.co.kr]