두 번이나 망했던 기아가 영업이익률 '세계 1위'가 된 이유

#Kia #Piech #Schreyer #Hyundai #EV9 We will unravel the real reason behind the 20-year reversal narrative of Kia—the "zombie company" that failed twice and which German Volkswagen Chairman Piëch regretted saying he "should not have let go"—surpassing Hyundai Motor's market capitalization in 2024 for the first time in 23 years and beating Tesla, Toyota, and BMW that year with an operating profit margin of 11.8%. (※ 2024 was the peak, and the situation after 2025 has been honestly summarized in the 'After the Video' section below.) 📌 Topics Covered in This Video • Why Kia, which ranked 8th in the business world with $3 billion in exports in 1996, collapsed into court receivership in just 7 years • The true structural reasons why the company collapsed in October 1997, even though the labor union declared a wage freeze • The 8 years of silence following Hyundai Motor's acquisition of Kia for approximately 1.07 trillion won in 1998 • Peter Schreyer, brought in from Germany by Chung Eui-sun in 2006, and the birth of 'Design Kia' • 450,000 units of the 1st-generation Sportage exported to North America — On-site testimony where the original text was missing • The original text of "We should not have let him go," left by Piëch in Bild am Sonntag in 2012 • 2022 EV6 European Car of the Year, 2024 EV9 World Car of the Year (two-time winner) • January 2024 Market Cap Reversal (41.3 Trillion vs. 41.1 Trillion) + Global No. 1 Operating Profit Margin (11.8%) • 2025 European BEV Market Share — 20%, 7%p ahead of the group including Tesla • Head-on Tariff Breakthrough with Local Production of EV9 and EV6 at the US Georgia Plant ⏱️ Chapter 0:00 "I Shouldn't Have Let It Go" — Piech's Regret 0:11 A Zombie Company That Failed Twice, A Reversal After 23 Years 0:46 Part 1. Germany Laughed, and Even the Older Brother (Hyundai) Sold It Off 4:24 Part 2. Autumn 1997 — Even the Union Made Concessions, But It Collapsed 7:59 Part 3. Chung Eui-sun's Three Visits to the Thatched Cottage, The German Master Comes to Korea 11:45 Part 4. Piech's Regret in 2012 → No. 1 Operating Profit Margin in 2024 16:40 If You Hold On, Eventually, the Opponent I admit it myself. 📍 Since the video — Present 2025~26 (Honestly) This video is the narrative of the '2024 peak'. Adding the subsequent developments: • Kia's operating profit in 2025 is projected at 9.08 trillion won (down 27% from guidance of 12.4 trillion won), with the operating profit margin falling to 8.0% from 11.8%. • As of May 2026, market capitalization stands at approximately 64 trillion won for Kia versus approximately 134 trillion won for Hyundai Motor — the gap has widened again (the overtake in January 2024 was a one-time peak). • Impact of US tariffs in Q1 2026 is projected at approximately 755 billion won, resulting in a 26.7% decrease in operating profit. • However, the company's financial strength remains intact — as of April 2026, Kia's BEV market share in Europe reached 31% (surpassing the average of 21%), and the combined market share of Hyundai and Kia in the US hit an all-time high. In other words, it is more accurate to view this not as the "completion of a revival," but rather as a test of the company's resilience after having already peaked once, marking a "test following the proof." 💡 Reference Data Sources Kia business reports and public disclosures, Bild am Sonntag 2012 interview with Piëch, official results of the European Car of the Year and World Car Awards, 2024 Kia ​​IR materials, media reports regarding 2025–26 earnings, market capitalization, and tariffs (Edaily, EBN, Car Magazine, etc.). 🔔 This channel covers the corporate and industrial narratives of Korea—how it persevered and accumulated achievements to eventually force its adversaries to acknowledge them at least once—along with the trials that followed the peak. Please subscribe so you don't miss the next episode.