Pyonghwa Motors

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Pyonghwa Motors
Hangul:	평화 자동차
Hanja:	平和自動車
Revised Romanization:	Pyeonghwa
McCune-Reischauer:	P'yŏnghwa

Pyonghwa Motors (also spelled Pyeonghwa) is originally a South Korean car importer, which set up a car producing joint-venture with the North Korean Ryonbong General Corp. in Nampo. It produces two small cars under licence from Fiat, and a pick-up truck and an SUV using CKD kits from Chinese manufacturer Dandong Shuguang.

In summer 2006, the North Korean government magazine Foreign Trade, which advertises North Korean products, published a photograph of a new luxury car produced by Pyonghwa, the Junma [1], which appears to be a rebadged version of the South Korean SsangYong Chairman [2]. The Chairman bears a strong resemblance to Mercedes-Benz cars, which are favoured by North Korean government officials, and is indeed based on an old Mercedes design, the W124 E-Class.

Pyonghwa has also reached an agreement with Chinese manufacturer Brilliance China Auto to assemble its Jinbei Haice vans, which are based on an old version of the Toyota Hiace [3][4].

Since most North Koreans do not know how to drive nor are financially able to own a car, the cars are aimed at government officials and the few foreigners living in North Korea. Pyonghwa also plans to export cars to China, Vietnam and South Korea.

Pyonghwa has the exclusive rights to car production, purchase, and sale of used cars in North Korea.

an advertising board of "Pyonghwa Motors" in Pyongyang

1 Joint-venture stockholders
2 Car models
3 History
4 See also
5 External links

[edit] Joint-venture stockholders

70% Pyonghwa Motors (Seoul) (owned by the Unification Church)
30% Ryonbong Corp.

[edit] Car models

Hwiparam (휘파람 - Whistle) - based on the Fiat Siena
Ppeokkugi (뻐꾸기 - Cuckoo) - based on the Fiat Doblò
Premio (also known as Cuckoo 3) - based on a Dandong Shuguang pick-up
Pronto (also known as Cuckoo 2) - based on a Dandong Shuguang SUV
Junma - apparently based on the SsangYong Chairman

[edit] History

1999, April - founded by the Unification Church
2000, January - the joint-venture with Ryonbong is announced
2002, April - first production line in Nampo was completed and the first Hwiparam was produced
2004 - Premio and Pronto introduced