South Korean automotive giant Kia has announced the appointment of Song Min-su, its esteemed head of domestic production, as co-CEO. This strategic move establishes a dual-leadership structure, with Song Min-su now serving alongside the incumbent President and CEO, Song Ho-sung, to drive Kia’s ambitious growth and future mobility initiatives.
The Hyundai Motor Group affiliate confirmed the appointment on Wednesday, following approval from its board of directors. This decision fills the leadership vacancy created by Choi Jun-young’s transition in May to head Hyundai Motor Group’s newly formed policy development office, which oversees crucial labor policy and external affairs.
Born in 1966, Song Min-su brings a wealth of experience to his new role. Prior to this elevation, he successfully served as Kia’s head of domestic production and chief safety officer. His extensive career at Kia includes leadership positions at the AutoLand Hwaseong plant, as well as significant roles in labor support, service support, and plant administration. This diverse background has solidified his expertise in critical areas such as production safety, robust labor management, and efficient field operations.
Kia’s board lauded Song Min-su as a distinguished manufacturing and production expert, highlighting his profound understanding of plant operations and extensive industry experience. The board emphasized that his appointment is pivotal for enhancing Kia’s production efficiency, fortifying its quality competitiveness, and fostering progressive labor-management relations across its operations.
This key leadership change occurs at a transformative period for Kia, as the company aggressively expands its future mobility businesses, particularly in electric vehicles (EVs) and purpose-built vehicles (PBVs). Simultaneously, Kia is committed to modernizing its domestic production bases to meet evolving market demands and technological advancements.
As co-CEO, Song Min-su is expected to leverage his deep field-level experience to inform strategic decisions regarding production. His insights will be crucial in ensuring management closely reflects conditions at manufacturing sites, thereby improving overall productivity and safety standards. Furthermore, his proven track record makes him an instrumental figure in maintaining stable and cooperative labor relations.
Under this revitalized dual-leadership structure, Kia is poised to accelerate its growth trajectory. The company is currently heading towards another potentially record-breaking year, building on its strong performance.
Kia reported impressive global sales of 1.63 million vehicles in the first half of the year, marking a 2.7 percent increase from the previous year. This achievement sets a new first-half sales record for the company, surpassing its prior peak within just one year.
Should this robust sales momentum persist into the second half of the year, Kia is on track to extend its remarkable streak of annual sales records to a fourth consecutive year, underscoring its market strength and strategic success.
Song Ho-sung, who has expertly guided Kia since 2020, conveyed strong confidence in Kia’s second-half performance. He attributed this positive outlook to the surging demand for Kia’s electric vehicles, hybrid models, and newly introduced vehicle lineups.
Speaking to reporters at the 2026 Busan Mobility Show in June, Song Ho-sung affirmed, “The strong sales momentum we have witnessed this year is set to continue into the second half. Driven by the significant impetus from our electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and exciting new models, we are confident in our ability to expand our market share even more aggressively this year.”
