Hyundai Awarded Best Sedan Brand of 2011-2012

Hyundai Elantra 

Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors Sdn Bhd managing director Lau Yit Mun receiving the award

Congratulations Hyundai for being awarded BrandLaureate’s Best Brands in Automotive Sedan of 2011-2012.

According to BrandLaureate president Dr KK Johan during the awards night on May 25 held at the Sunway Resort Hotel and Spa, Hyundai who bested the other four finalists in the catagory was awarded for its exceptional achievement in corporate branding.

“Hyundai was selected as winner by a panel of judges with the approval of BrandLaureate’s Board of Governors. They won because it has met the criteria of winning this award and also displayed the best branding practices that have contributed to the organisation’s growth,” said Johan.

“The marketing and branding efforts by Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors Sdn Bhd for both YF Sonata and MD Elantra has brought about this achievement”, said Hyundai-Sime Darby Motors Sdn Bhd managing director Lau Yit Mun.

“It is truly an honour for us to receive such a prestigious award and we are grateful for this recognition. We wouldn't have achieved this without the team’s great effort and the inspirations that we received from Hyundai Motor Company as well as our customers.”

HyundaiGFT Sonata Hybrid

Well done Hyundai! Hyundai Sonata hybrid wins 'top satisfaction' award

Hyundai Motor Co., Korea's top automaker, said Friday its Sonata hybrid has received the "top satisfaction" award from a U.S.-based automotive research company. The carmaker said the mid-size car ranked No. 1 in the hybrid and electric-powered passenger car segment checked by AutoPacific Inc. This car segment was first launched in 2010 with the Mercury Milan hybrid and Lincoln MKZ hybrid being the early winners. Hyundai's Sonata hybrid was first introduced in the U.S. market a year ago. The AutoPacific Vehicle Satisfaction Award is an industry benchmark for measuring how actual owners feel about their cars by checking 48 different categories covering safety, product quality, performance and comfort. Hyundai said this year, the award was handed out after 75,000 car owners were surveyed with 14 passengers cars and 14 recreational vehicles and pickup trucks being evaluated. The carmaker has recently extended the battery, motor and the hybrid power control unit warranty on the Sonata hybrid to 10 years and 200,000 kilometers, up from six years and 120,000 kilometers in the past. (Yonhap)

Bahasa Malaysia

~ Aktiviti Mendaki Gunung Yongmasan dan Gunung Achasan

Pemandangan daripada Gunung Achasan

~ Gambar oleh Kevin Park

Setelah menulis kebanyakan entri dalam blog saya di dalam Bahasa Inggeris, saya merasakan adalah baik sekiranya saya menulis pada kali ini di dalam bahasa ibunda saya yakni Bahasa Malaysia.

Sebagai pelajar yang mempunyai minat yang mendalam di dalam bahasa tidak kira bahasa apa, saya masih mengganggap bahasa yang banyak dipertuturkan di Malaysia patut dipanggil Bahasa Malaysia. Iaitu seperti juga  jiran kita Indonesia yang memanggil bahasa ibunda mereka sebagai Bahasa Indonesia.

Meskipun arwah ibu saya seorang guru Bahasa Inggeris, dari umur saya di dalam dukungannya sehinggalah mula bersekolah saya tetap bertutur di dalam Bahasa Malaysia. Hanya pada tahun 1985, saya dipaksa bertutur di dalam Bahasa Inggeris semasa saya mula bersekolah di Ben Day School, Leavenworth, Kansas, Amerika Syarikat.

Sekolah Ben Day

Banyak pengalaman pahit dan manis saya bersekolah di sini bersama-sama dengan pelajar-pelajar tempatan  Amerika, dan mujur guru kelas Puan Vakas faham masalah saya kerana saya seorang pelajar yang pendiam dan terus ditempatkan di sebelah meja guru kelas seolah-olah saya pelajar kesayangan beliau. Saya masih ingat bahawa saya faham apa yang diperkatakan di dalam kelas namun saya tidak boleh mengekspresikan diri saya dengan baik. 

Pada minggu pertama, rakan sekelas saya seperti Michelle, Stacy, Danial, Alan dan ramai lagi telah di tanya oleh Puan Vakas burung apa yang boleh tahan sejuk tetapi tidak boleh terbang. (bukan dwi-maksud). Semua memberikan jawapan mereka dan semuanya salah. Apabila lebih kurang lima minit persoalan itu tidak dijawab, Puan Vakas dengan nada yang lembut bertanya, "Why not we ask Afdal if he knows the answer?". Saya pun tanpa teragak-agak menjawab, "Penguin."

Rakan sekelas saya gelak ketawa kerana menyangka jawapan itu salah, namun dengan muka yang berkeyakinan, Puan Vakas juga telah tertawa dan mengucapkan "You are right, Afdal!". Sejak dari itu keyakinan saya bertambah dan mula mempunyai ramai kawan dengan rakan sekelas saya di gred dua, Sekolah Ben Day.

~~~ 

Baiklah, mari saya mulakan pengalaman saya mendaki gunung di sekitar Seoul buat kali kedua sepanjang saya berada di Korea Selatan. Kelab Hiking, Sekolah KDI telah merancang pendakian ini semenjak cuti semester musim bunga yang lalu. Di bawah kepimpinan Encik Sanaullah Mangi daripada Pakistan kami telah membuat persiapan fizikal dan mental untuk mendaki gunung Yongmasan dan Achasan. Menurut pembantu kelab, Encik Kevin Park, pendakian ini adalah lebih mudah berbanding pendakian semasa bulan Mac 2012 yang lalu. Namun keistimewaan pada kali ini adalah pendakian pada waktu malam.

Perjalanan dimulakan pada 4.00 petang di lobi sekolah bersama-sama 10 orang ahli kelab dan diteruskan ke stesen Hoegi lebih kurang 15 minit perjalanan. Dari stesen Hoegi dan transit ke stesen Sangbong serta terus ke stesen Yongmasan. Oleh kerana hari yang didaki adalah petang hari Ahad  dan kebanyakan pendaki tegar akan mendaki pada hari Sabtu malam atau Ahad pagi. Semasa kami tiba di stesen Yongmasan, kebanyakan daripada mereka telah turun dari pendakian dengan muka yang letih tetapi jelas terpancar kepuasan mereka kerana berjaya melaksanakan aktiviti mendaki pada hari itu. Saya masih kagum dengan minat orang-orang Korea di dalam aktiviti sebegini.

Ahli Kelab Hiking Sekolah KDI, Korea yang terdiri daripada pelbagai warganegara

~ Gambar oleh Presiden Kelab Sana Mangi

Mendaki di Gunung Yongmasan bersama Hanka dari Republik Czech dan Augy dari Mongolia

Selangkah demi selangkah

Pendakian ke Gunung Yongmasan mengambil masa dalam satu jam setengah dan rehat selama 30 minit di atas puncak gunung. Setelah hampir dua bulan tidak mendaki dan ditambah pula cuti seminggu, pendakian ke atas gunung agak mencabar juga namun dengan rentak perjalanan dan pernafasan (semput) saya dapat mendaki di atas gunung tersebut dengan lancar.

Malaysia Boleh!

Oleh kerana saya baru kembali daripada Yeosu, lima jam perjalanan dari Seoul saya masih berpeluang menunaikan solat jamak qasar dan peluang ini digunakan sebaiknya. Selepas matahari terbenam, dan sinaran lampu daripada bandaraya Seoul melimpah dan memenuhi segenap ruang angkasa bandaraya itu, dan meskipun pendakian adalah di dalam kegelapan malam, penglihatan kami semua tidak terlalu terjejas. Namun begitu, presiden kelab telah pun memberi pesanan agar kami semua berjalan dengan menggunakan lampu suluh. 

Kaki Gunung Achasan

~ Gambar oleh Vesna Sumic

Turun dari Gunung Yongmasan dan mendaki Gunung Achasan tidaklah begitu sukar di dalam gelap namun kerana tidak ramai pendaki pada malam tersebut, agak sunyi juga sepanjang pendakian kami. Saya teringat di dalam sanubari saya, sekiranya ini di Sabah atau hutan di semenanjung begitu banyak pantang larang dan tatasusila yang perlu dijaga. Saya ingat insiden di Kiansom, Inanam dan Papar, Sabah semasa latihan ketenteraan Pasukan Latihan Pegawai Simpanan, banyak insiden ganjil berlaku dan masih menjadi misteri sehingga ke hari ini. 

Saya juga masih ingat lawak jenaka adik saya yang pernah menetap di Canberra, Australia. Beliau berkata "Kalau kat luar negeri, kita tak takut kalau ada terjumpa atau terdengar hantu mat salleh, mungkin kerana bagi kita hantu tu dah level bawah berbanding kalau hantu di negara kita, hantu tempat kita mesti takut dia lain macam." ~ Asyura "Acua" Md. Hashim. Ini daripada adik saya yang pernah menetap di rumah yang ada "The Others".... heheheeeeee....

"The Others" - kan betul, hantu mat salleh pun cun macam Nicole Kidman

Saya juga berpendapat sebegitu, namun percaya kerana adat dan budaya kita yang terlalu menakut-nakutkan kanak-kanak sehingga terlupa ianya boleh menjejaskan pemikiran kreativiti mereka dan juga sifat ingin tahu mereka. Mujurlah juga wayang terbitan KRU Productions berani menampilkan sedikit kelainan berkenaan makhluk halus ini melalui filem "MAGIKA".

Magika - eksplorasi dunia bunian dalam bentuk muzikal

Dari Yongmasan ke Achasan, dengan keadaan yang sunyi sepi, saya tidak mengambil mudah dan mula membaca ayat dan surah pelindung agar perjalanan ini tamat dengan baik. Mungkin kerana pengalaman saya dan cerita ayah saya sebagai seorang anggota tentera memberikan saya latihan untuk terus bersemangat kental.

Di Achasan, saya dapat melihat pemandangan yang begitu cantik dari puncak gunung.

Pemandangan dari Gunung Achasan

~ Gambar oleh Vesna Sumic

Setelah pendakian selama hampir 5 jam, tibalah kami di akhir pendakian Gunung Achasan. Pengalaman pada kali ini amatlah memberi kepuasan kepada saya setelah hampir lima bulan berada di Korea Selatan.

Saya ada membaca satu artikel di The New York Times bertarikh 20 Mei 2012 bertajuk "The Anti-MBA". Bukanlah saya bermaksud untuk menidakkan program MBA kerana pada pendapat saya, apa jenis ilmu sama ada formal atau tidak formal adalah sama penting.

Di dalam artikel tersebut menyebut:

"Of all the management courses in all the world, there are probably a few others that tell students they will need hiking boots and waterproof jackets."

"However, it is hard to think of anywhere outside of the International Masters Program in Practical Management that begins by telling the students that most graduate business degrees “are destructive” or that the case-study method, the hallowed approach adopted by Harvard and many of the world’s other leading business schools, is actually “demeaning.”"

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/21/world/europe/21iht-educlede21.html

Artikel itu menyentuh bahawa kebanyakan kursus-kursus perniagaan, sama ada di Harvard dan universiti terkemuka lain adalah bersifat 'merendahkan martabat' intelektualisme seseorang.

Manakala artikel itu juga menyebut Henry Mintzberg seorang profesor pengajian pengurusan di Universiti  McGill, Montreal yang mengkritik bahawa sekolah perniagaan MBA adalah 'ancaman kepada masyarakat.'

"The rise of the business-school-trained M.B.A., he says, is “a menace to society.”

Sebagai seorang penjawat awam dan kini seorang pelajar pasca-siswazah, saya berpendapat adalah penting bahawa ilmu boleh dan wajar diperolehi di mana-mana. Tidak kira di bilik kuliah, di lobi sekolah mahupun di stesen bas di hadapan sekolah. Pada pendapat saya, suatu hari nanti dan tidak mustahil sekarang, dunia akademik adalah melampaui pointer CGPA seseorang mahupun senarai dekan yang dimiliki olehnya. (Mestilah orang yang berusaha sedaya upayanya untuk mendapat CGPA yang tinggi mungkin menyangkal hujah ini).

Siapa yang masih boleh ingat pelajar cemerlang SPM pada tahun 1995 ataupun pemenang anugerah Naib Canselor dan di mana beliau sekarang? Mungkin ada yang berjaya dari segi ilmiahnya dan keterampilannya namun sekiranya pelajar cemerlang tersebut berjaya memberikan pulangan kepada masyarakat tanpa memikirkan dirinya sahaja, saya merasakan pelajar tersebut bukan sahaja pelajar cemerlang namun beliau adalah juga insan yang cemerlang. (Terasa seperti Dato' Fadzilah Kamsah).

Oleh yang demikian, pengalaman saya bukan sahaja dengan mendaki gunung tetapi peluang menuntut ilmu di negara Korea adalah suatu yang amat meningkatkan nilai tambah dan pengetahuan serta pengalaman, dan seharusnya saya mengucapkan terima kasih kepada Jabatan Perkhidmatan Awam (JPA) yang memberi saya peluang ini dan juga kepada KDI School dan POSCO Asia Fellowship yang menaja pengajian saya. 

Demikianlah percubaan saya mengarang di dalam Bahasa Malaysia. 

Terima kasih kerana sudi membacanya.

Kelab Hiking KDI School 2012 setelah mendaki dua gunung di tenggara Bandaraya Seoul

HyundaiGFT

대한민국 해군 (Daehanminguk Haegun) Republic of Korea Navy ~ ROKS Cheonan

~ A moment of silence to the fallen.

This entry is to honor the fallen ROKS Cheonan seamen who perished on 26 March 2010.

ROKS Cheonan 772

As a military brat and a former Budak Boy (Putera) of the Royal Military College, Sungei Besi and Senior Under Officer cadet of the Reserve Officers Training Corps. I always admired and respect the soldiers/sailors/airmen of their respective armed forces.

To me, they have given their best years of their lives to protect and defend each of their own country from tyranny, for freedom and  that we are warmly tucked in our beds at night while they ensure our peace and sovereignty. 

Malaysia and South Korea relatively share the same history of being colonized by the Japanese Empire and fighting off communists which the former was successful in 1989 after the Malayan Communist Party surrendered officially after decades of fighting in the jungle. 

In this incident, the Republic of Korea's (South Korea) Navy was torpedoed and believed to be attacked by a mini submarine of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea).

The wreckage on the hull of the ship

I think it must have been a difficult time for ROK's Chief of Navy and the South Korean President to not to retaliate after having lost so many men in an unnecessary and unprecedented attack and provocation by the North to ROK's Navy. In my mind, the US Navy must have calmed the South Koreans from a full scale attack which is commendable in avoiding a war between the two nations.

It was a good exposure to the international participants to see and feel how uneasy and unstable it is for South Korea to develop its economy and as I vividly remember my boss, Tan Sri Abu Bakar Abdullah, Director General of Public Service Malaysia and former Secretary General of Malaysia's Ministry of Defense, he said to Korea's President of the Central Officials Training Institute (COTI): 

"South Korea is an amazing country, you have to spend billions of dollars to improve your economy and the well being of your people, and at the same time you have to allocate your resources to defend your country and still be a developed nation."

Tan Sri Abu Bakar Abdullah

JPA Malaysia

Director General of the Public Service
Malaysia

I guess that is one of the reasons I decided to pursue my postgraduate studies in Korea, to learn their fighting spirit, their endurance and their CAN DO spirit.

상등병 (Sangdeungbyeong) Able Seaman Kim, ROK Navy seaman in briefing session

I wish to also extend my appreciation to non-commissioned officer Able Seaman Kim of the ROK Navy for his steadfastness and time in explaining to us what actually happened at the night of 26 March 2010. For a regular service NCO, his English was good and a confident seaman he is, which I am sure that most Royal Malaysian Navy sailors are as good and confident as this seaman is.

To all 46 crew who perished - Your country mourns for their lost and I salute you.

~~~

Sinking of ROKS Cheonan

On the night of the sinking the U.S. and South Korea Navies were engaged in joint anti-submarine warfare exercises 75 miles away from the site of the sinking. This exercise was part of the annual Key Resolve/Foal Eagle war exercise, described as "one of the world's largest simulated exercises", and involved many modern U.S. and South Korean warships.

Pohang Class corvette - ROKS Sinsung

On Friday, 26 March 2010, an explosion was reported to have occurred near the Cheonan, a Pohang-class corvette, near the stern of the ship at 9:22 pm local time. (12:22 pm GMT/UTC) This caused the ship to break in half five minutes afterward, sinking at approximately 9:30 pm (2130 hrs) local time about 1 nautical mile (1.9 km) off the south-west coast of Baengnyeong Island.

Inspection by ROK Navy and US Navy Admirals

Some initial reports suggested that the ship was hit by a North Korean torpedo, and that a South Korean vessel had returned fire, however the South Korean Ministry of Defense stressed in the first press briefings after the sinking that there was "no indication of North Korean involvement". Several theories have subsequently been put forth by various agencies as to the cause of the sinking. Early reports also suggested that South Korean Navy units had shot at an unidentified ship heading towards North Korea, however a defense official later said that this target may have been a flock of birds that were misidentified on radar.

The ship had a crew of 104 men at the time of sinking, and 58 crewmembers were rescued by 11:13 pm local time.The remaining 46 crew were presumably killed.

The stern of the Cheonan settled on its left side in 130 metres (430 ft) deep water close to the site of the sinking, but the bow section took longer to sink and settled overturned in 20 metres (66 ft) of water 6.4 kilometres (3.5 nmi) away with a small part of the hull visible above the water.

Hyundai

New Thinking ~ New Possibilities

Hyundai Motor Group

~ Picture by HyundaiGFT Facebook

The first time I came to really appreciate Hyundai was in the 2003 movie "The Crooked E: The Unshredded Truth about Enron."

Brian Cruver, an ambitious 26-year-old lands a job at Enron. As he assimilates to the company's get-rich-quick mantra, spending sprees and wild corporate "gatherings" become the norm. But when Enron files for bankruptcy, Cruver discovers he's just a pawn in a failing game of corporate greed—one that made the rich richer...while the rest lost everything

It is not specifically that I associate Hyundai with Enron as a bad entity, but the main character of the movie, which is based on the true story of Brian Cruver who was employed by Enron. In the movie when he arrived at his new office in a beat up Hyundai Coupe, his colleagues made fun of him, and said that he should change his car immediately when he gets his first salary and bonuses with Enron. 

It somewhat gave a bad impression of Hyundai in 2003, but for me even when Brian changed his car to a BMW Z3 after he made his first million, it gave a sense that Hyundai is a people's car and cheap as it may seem compared with the other established names in the business, I really think that it should be seen as a car that is reliable, good gas mileage and easy to maintain. A first car for everyone! 

Hyundai Coupe 1997 ~ it has come a long way. I mean really looooongggg

Look where it is now....! Hyundai Genesis Coupe

Now, back to the movie. 

Christian Kane played Brian in the movie, and well.... it did not do justice as Kane is a better looking Brian-version. For those of you who are not familiar with Kane's work:

Christian Kane as Brian in the movie

Kane is an American actor and singer/songwriter of Native American descent. He currently stars as Eliot Spencer on the TNT series Leverage. He is best known for his roles in the television shows Angel and Into the West, and the movies Just Married and Secondhand Lions.

Brian Cruver in 2003

Leverage TV Series - Kane, end left

Well, at least I tried. To me he is a good actor, but I don't see his biggest work as yet.

So, if I were to make a movie about myself - this is my better looking Afdal Izal.

Afdal Izal - the author

Dean Cain - Superman TV Series in the 1990s

Haha...


In the end, Brian Cruver's conscience got the better of him and decided to expose the wrong-doings of the company himself. Which I think epitomes the very spirit of Hyundai and Korea to always be the good guy, and though they say good guys finish last, but they finish with pride. 


~~~

Hyundai Global Friendship Tour

The bus was less comfortable than POSCO's trip to Gwangyang but the ride was awesome

Now to the fun part. On 18-19 May 2012, Hyundai invited the KDI School of Public Policy and Management to visit its Asan automotive plant located about 1 and half hour from Seoul and to its steel plant roughly about 30 minutes from its auto plant.

Eye-catcher Genesis coupe - a sporty version of two-door four-seater car priced at:
  US$24,250 for the 2.0L turbo model and US$28,750 for the 3.8-liter GDI V6.

Genesis coupe

Another masterpiece. Hyundai Grandeur.

Hyundai Elantra showcase in Kuala Lumpur. 
Note on the re-badged INOKOM logo.

~ Picture by Khalil Zaiyany

The cars of Hyundai today are much modern and savvy (Not Proton Savvy) and it looks good too. Though in Malaysia, Korean cars tend to lose out to Japanese cars and Malaysia's Proton cars (because it is cheaper) but its image and quality has somewhat escalated with these new models that has brought new admiration to Hyundai. 

In the early 2000s, Hyundai in Malaysia were looked at as knock-offs of Jaguars with its Hyundai Sonata, Elantra and other models.

Panzini Jaguar

2002 Hyundai Sonata

In retrospect, KIA which I learnt is also under Hyundai has been given a national status carmaker in Malaysia since the 1990s with its collaboration of Malaysia's NAZA Automotive Company. Another Korean collaboration is the Hyundai-ATOS and later INOKOM which has a factory in Kulim, Kedah, the northern part of Malaysia and it is also given a national car status. In the long run, I think it is beneficial to both countries IF, and only IF technology transfer and knowledge sharing is given in order to give an edge to buyers in countries like Malaysia their value of money. I know that it is indeed too much to ask but if Korean cars were to be given a place in the hearts of potential car owners, this should be their top priority. 

Korean cars such as Hyundai is also viewed as a car that has low second hand value which is arguable due to the used car market of a particular country. In Malaysia, the sense is that Japanese cars get greater second hand value, a case in point is when my close colleague who bought a Honda Civic in 2007 for RM120,000 (US$43,000 - yeah I know it's expensive!) but after using it for a couple of years and selling it to a second hand car dealer, and after deducting the car loans and all, he gets back almost RM5,000 cash back (about US$1,900)!

But then again, who wants to buy a car just to sell it and get second hand value cash.

The re-badged Naza (KIA) Forte in Malaysia

Re-badged Naza Ria (KIA Carnival)  in Malaysia

Hence, this stigma among car-buyers perhaps in the ASEAN region of 550 million population of potential future car buyers should be addressed by Korean car companies and particularly Hyundai. This, if it aspires to be the number one car in the region.

In my personal experience when I wanted to buy a sports Multi-purpose Vehicle (MPV), the closest that came into my mind of a Hyundai model was the Hyundai Trajet.

Eight-seater 2.4 Hyundai Trajet

The interior was to my liking with three row-seater, but when I assessed it as a family man with 3 sons, I still wanted to travel in style. The Trajet was good if I were older and did not care about style or designs, but if it was more trendier and appealing to dads like me, I think it can be a best-selling car even with the moderate price tag of RM120,000 (US$40,000) for a 2.4 chassis MPV.

The presentation by the Public Relations Manager at Asan plant informed us that the Hyundai car-designers of today are from the US, Germany, Japan and other top car designers countries (I could only remember these three countries - I think Italy was mentioned too). My partner in the bus, a Korean-American born in  Los Angeles  also mentioned that some of the designers were engaged from competitors by offering them a position that whatever you design they will accept without question, and whatever you do they will produce it. So confident of their designs and I think that gamble has paid off.

From Asan Plant we went to its steel plant which is my second visit to such a plant. The first was to POSCO's Gwangyang and it was similar to my experience in the plant. However the comparison with Hyundai and POSCO is the way of their stockpiling (I wish I could show the pictures but it is their top national security concern that we do not publish the pictures).

POSCO's iron ore were exposed to the elements and I could remember that its stockpile is divided by a simple cemented brick wall. Hyundai's iron ore stockpile was covered in big domes that reminded me of the movie and game "DUNE" in the 1980s and 1990s.

Dune 2000 - the dome for spice mining in the game, it is on the right hand side

It is about the size of a baseball field and stadium, and can easily fit close to 50,000 people.

From the steel plant we made our way to Kensington Resort Hotel located in Namwon.

The three hours trip from Asan to Namwon by bus

We arrived at about 1900H and immediately had dinner. I have to commend the organizers for the excellent planning during the trip as we were well fed and everything went very smoothly.

I wished the name was Namwon Resort

The rooms had no bed, Korean traditional-style of sleeping which was okay with me!

We had a lecture by a 'former foreigner' Bob Holley who came here in 1981 as a law student and made comparisons with Korea in the 1980s. It was not much different with my country in the 1980s with outdoor toilets in the kampungs (villages), proud to see a mat salleh (mad sailor or white man) learning the roots of the new adopted country and the mixture of modern living and contemporary way of life.

Robert Holley: the Korean actor, international school owner and father of three handsome boys!

He reminded me of Amir Faizal, a good friend when we served together in Washington, with his fast-paced jokes and made remarks that was true about Koreans (without offending them). He is married to a Korean woman and is mighty proud of it too. To Bob, thank you for sharing your thoughts from a 'former foreigner' in Korea, and yes.... he is a naturalized Korean citizen now.

After a good night's rest, we moved further down south of the peninsular to Yeosu, about two hours from Namwon.

Namwon to Yeosu 2012 Expo!

The one thing I love about the highways in Korea is the elevated highways with tunnels from hill to hill. You were like flying over the river or on the mountains and one can just imagine the tons and tons of concrete and steel to construct miles of elevated highways.

Korean engineering at its best!

Arriving Yeosu was like entering a sleepy town of probably Setiawan, Perak, Malaysia and then you have the biggest party in the province when you see the 2012 Yeosu Expo! I was quite proud to see Malaysia's pavilion right in front of the entrance which I think is an excellent strategy and good work by the Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) Ministry of Malaysia as the lead agency responsible in representing Malaysia to this expo.

Malaysia's pavilion greeting us from the entrance. The Hanguel spelling is pronounced as Mal-le-i-si-a.

The organizers only gave us about three hours to cover the whole expo, and with all the time limitations, I decided that the international part should be visited for this trip. This year's theme were about marine life and conservation and exploration and I thought that most countries were creative with their own version of marine life. I had the opportunity to meet the Program Director for Malaysia's Pavilion, a nice Ms. Farah Shameen who was Assistant Director in Pulau Pinang's State Economic Planning Unit (UPEN) in 2003. I first me her when I reported for duty to the Penang's State Secretariat in KOMTAR. The last time we met was last year when she finished her masters from Meiji University, Tokyo, Japan.

The crowd kept coming in to Malaysia's pavilion and even though it was small, the infotainment in the area was impressive.

SELAMAT DATANG ~ Welcome

Ajummas and Ajeossi (Aunties and Uncles)

If you want to know more, please visit Malaysia's Pavilion! Its open until August 2012!


~~~


HYUNDAI PAVILION AT 2012 YEOSU EXPO


One of the highlights of the day was Hyundai's own pavilion, which in its true self embodies an upward image of renewing and refreshing its stature as one of the highest growing carmakers in the world. All of us 120 students of KDI were given direct entry to Hyundai's showcase of 3D imagery and smart entertainment as I would like to call it.

The cars move and the blocks are intertwined as if the cars are on the walls

~ Picture by HyundaiGFT Facebook

We were suppose to O-group near the Hyundai Pavilion at 1430Hours, and after having some Belgium Brussel Waffle for KRW9,000 (RM25 - which was delicious by the way) and Belgian fries (KRW4,000 = RM11) it was already 1420H. As any good time keeper and the constant reminders by the organizers, we ran to the pavilion as quickly as we could as not to be late.

KDI School Hyundai Global Friendship Tour - 120 strong intellectuals from more than 60 countries!
P-O-T-E-N-T-I-A-L!

~ Picture by HyundaiGFT Facebook

In all, it was truly an enriching experience of Korean automotive industry, Korean engineering, Korean-host international exhibition that was clean and friendly (but to see garbage bins was quite an adventure) and the many souvenirs we received along the trip.

I wish to end my experience sharing of the tour by Hyundai's own showcase right after we exited their Pavilion, with its New Thinking, New Possibilities tagline and the excellent reminder to our world - "Together for a better future"

Hyundai - untuk masa depan yang lebih baik

Much love and peace.

KDI School
2012 GFT