HYUNDAI Motor Philippines Inc. (HMPH) will have a new president beginning July 27, with Byung Goo Ko taking over the local subsidiary from Jiho Son.
Ko joins HMPH after serving as team leader of Hyundai Motor Co.’s India and Middle East Business Team. He will be responsible for steering the Korean carmaker’s Philippine operations as it continues to expand its dealer network and electrified vehicle lineup.
The management change comes less than two years after Son assumed the presidency of HMPH in October 2024.
During his term, Son oversaw the opening of additional Hyundai dealerships and the continued rollout of the company’s Global Dealership Space Identity program. The program updates the appearance and layout of Hyundai showrooms and service facilities to follow the carmaker’s current global dealership standards.
Son’s tenure also coincided with Hyundai’s broader push into hybrid vehicles in the Philippine market.
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The company added models such as the Kona Hybrid, Elantra Hybrid, and Palisade Hybrid, widening its electrified range beyond the Tucson Hybrid, Santa Fe Hybrid, and the battery electric Ioniq models.
The expanded selection reflects Hyundai’s effort to offer different levels of electrification as Philippine motorists gradually move away from vehicles powered solely by conventional gasoline or diesel engines.
Hybrids have become particularly important in the local market because they can reduce fuel consumption without requiring owners to regularly connect their vehicles to a charger. They also give manufacturers an electrified option for buyers who may not yet have access to home or public charging facilities.
Ko takes over as competition intensifies not only among established Japanese and Korean manufacturers, but also from a growing number of Chinese brands offering hybrids, plug-in hybrids, and fully electric vehicles at aggressive prices.
His previous experience handling Hyundai’s business in India and the Middle East could prove relevant to the Philippines, where affordability, durability, and the ability to respond to different road and market conditions remain important considerations.
Among the challenges facing the new president will be sustaining Hyundai’s dealer expansion, strengthening after-sales support, and maintaining the competitiveness of the company’s vehicle range.
Ko will also have to guide Hyundai through a local market in which buyers are increasingly comparing vehicles based on technology, fuel economy, warranty coverage, and overall value rather than relying on brand familiarity alone.
Son, meanwhile, leaves HMPH after overseeing a period of dealership development and product expansion. Hyundai credited him with improving the company’s retail network and introducing additional hybrid models during his term.
The appointment of Ko marks another leadership transition for HMPH, which became Hyundai Motor Co.’s official Philippine sales subsidiary in 2022.
With the local lineup now covering gasoline, diesel, hybrid, and fully electric vehicles, the new president inherits a broader product portfolio — and a Philippine automotive market that has become more crowded and competitive.