Hyundai 1st In the World to Launch LPG Hybrid

It probably is surprising to many in the West that Hyundai, of South Korea, is now the 5th largest automobile manufacter in the world. To those who do know this, it should come as no surprise that Hyundai and Kia (now one company under the Hyundai banner) have set some industry firsts along the way. However, the importance of these breakthroughs could be very significant on the world stage. One of the most important of these new introductions is the Hyundai Alante LPG hybrid and the Kia Forte LPG hybid. They both use liquified petroleum gas rather than gasoline or diesel fuel. In addition, South Korea's LG Chemical has supplied the lithium-ion polymer batteries for the new hybrid cars. These cars are the first-in-the-world LGP hybrids and the first-in-the-world hybrids to use lithium-ion polymer batteries.

Both the Kia Forte (shown above) and the Hyundai Alantra boast a 1.6 liter displacement LPG engine coupled to a 15KW electric engine powered by the lithium-ion polymer batteries. This combination gives the auto an impressive 70 MPG and an even better 102g CO2 per kilometer driven! These stats are indeed very impressive. According to autopress.co.uk, the continuosly variable transmission is not quite ready for prime time, but give the Koreans another few years and the I suspect all of the kinks will be ironed out putting Hyundai in the winning circle when it comes to "green" cars.

However, the idea for this post began when I heard the GM CEO say, the day after emerging from bankruptcy, that his car company needed to invest heavily in battery technology. Given the state-of-the-art in South Korea, it seems that the proverbial horse has already left the proberbial barn; closing the doors now is not meaningful. My thinking was simple, if the LG Chem batteries worked well, then GM should develop a significant relationship with LG Chem. However, after a quick search I found a number of articles on the selection of the battery supplier for the Chevy Volt (a GM product). It seems that, in January of 2009, LG Chem was chosen, but there are many people in the US who feel that a foriegn source of batteries is not good (don't want to re-create the whole oil dependancy problem with a different energy source).

The source of the batteries for the Forte and Alantra hybrids is LG Chemical, an offshoot of LG, one of Korea's largest conglomerates. LG Chemical's US battery subsidiary is Compact Power.

The lithium-ion polymer batteries uses the same technology originally designed for the cell phone and gadget market here in Korea.

So why re-invent the wheel? GM, if you want to invest in a new energy technology, look at developing something in which other significant players don't already have a lead. Look for something radical, industry changing. I can get behind that! Besides, as a US taxpayer, it is my money too!

South Korea and Technology

Many Americans, when they find out that I live and work in Korea, ask me "North or South"? I think that question shows the lack of understanding that many Westerners have about South Korea and its place in the world. While I am not going to address this issue generally, I will talk about technology, and to some degree, where South Korea fits into that picture. After all, I am a bit of a geek!

Over the years I have seen a number of technologies where South Korea has a leadership position in one way or another. However, I recently saw two technologies that I want to talk about. One has made the world stage in a few ways, the second is not as widely popular outside of South Korea.

I was at the YongSan electronics market last weekend. The market is a gathering of a very large number of electronics and gadget manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers where the general public can go to buy the latest gadgets, computers, electronic games, etc. I came across something called the KF WiBro Egg. More about WiBro later, but the KT WiBro Egg connects to the cellular network by WiBro but the egg is also capable of joining up to three computers, iPhone, iTouch, or anything with WiFi capability to the WiBro network. The Egg has a battery life of four hours but also has external power capabilities also. In essence, you have your own WiFi router attached to the fast WiBro network anywhere you go (in Korea of course). Out walking, riding in a car or train, anywhere the cellular network stretches (and in South Korea, that even includes subway systems). The Egg itself costs KRW 120 thousand (Korean won) (about US$94 at the time the blog was written) with a one year contract. The WiBro monthly cellular service costs range from KRW 19,800(US$15.50) for 30GB transfer per month to KRW 27,000 (US$21.10) for 50GB of transfer per month. Of course, for the budget conscious you can get 1GB of transfer per month for a mere KRW 10,000 (US$ 7.82).

There is a back story to this technology as well. South Korea developed WiBro and launched it in 2006. WiBro has an aggregate throughput of 30 ~ 50 MBits/sec! That is enough to put most fixed home internet connections in the US to shame! There is one limitation though -- 120 kph (or roughly 75 mph). Yes, you can stay connected with good network speed and quality in your car/train/bus while traveling at speeds up to 75 miles per hour! Amazing!

In the West, this technology is known more frequently as WiMax or 4G services. So how did South Korea launch these services in 2006 (of course significantly improved over the last few years) but we in the West are just now seeing them?

Next Blog will continue the technology theme with Lithium ion batteries (yes, South Korea is a technology leader in this critical technology as well!).

Death of a President

I have been thinking about what I would write in this blog since that fateful Saturday morning I first learned of former South Korean President Noh's tragic death. Don't get me wrong, anytime a former President of a country dies it is news, but this death is special in a number of ways.

First, let me create some perspective. I have been living, as a foreigner commuting from the US, in South Korea since 2001. As a result, I have witnessed first hand a number of very positive changes in Korea. I will not recount them here, but suffice it to say that Korea has gained prominence on the worldwide stage during the intervening years. To the outside world, the Republic of Korea is seen as a republic with a democratically elected government. Korea is a prosperous and affluent country as well. GDP is now approaching US$20,000. One look around the Kangnam area tells you that there are many people in Korea with money. In many ways, the financial district of Seoul does not look that different than Wall Street. The headquarters of many Korean as well as international companies line Teheran Street, one of the main streets through the Samsung-dong and Jamsil area.

So why does the death of a President -- an apparent suicide no less -- capture my attention in this way? It is simple. Korea is a land of counter-currents as well. A land of contradicitons -- of sorts.

Korea's culture and societal norms stem from its Confucianism past. I don't pretend to be an expert on this topic, but I will tell you my thinking. In Korea, relationships are governed by age, position, and power. As an example, younger people readily give way to older people, physically and mentally. The language used when talking to an older person is more honorific than than used when talking to a peer or younger person. Younger people yield to their seniors on buses, trains, etc. I have even seen a pregnant young woman give up her seat for an older gentleman. This is normal in this society. It also means that younger people bend to the political will of the older generation as well. However, with the election of President Noh, the younger generation showed its strength, and to some degree its rebellious nature. President Noh was seen as the President for the next generation. In fact, in his earlier years, as a civil rights lawyer he had defended rebellious students of the 1980's. In short, he was arguably Korea's first "people's president".

So, what was the meaning of his suicide? Why was this event special?

First, President Noh's suicide marked the end of the "People's President" and to a large degree was a setback for those whose cause he championed. The outpouring of sympathy and grief was overwhelming. Second, many say it was another poignant reminder of the power that any sitting president has. Many say that the pressure the prosecution brought against President Noh was done at the behest of President Lee's team -- in fact many on the left go as far to say that it was the invisible hand of the prosecution's power that pushed Noh off of that mountain on that fateful morning. Third, it again draws a strong distinction between the political thinking of the younger generations (40's and younger) and the older generation (50's and older).

On the other hand, the conservatives say that President Noh's apparent suicide points to the fact that he was guilty of the crimes that the prosecution was pursuing.

So what do I think? I think it is a tragedy anytime a strong person bullies a weaker one -- anytime a person in power takes advantage of that power to inflict on his or her enemies retribution.

It is my fervent hope that President Noh's death was not in vain -- that others take up his cause and push it forward with as much gusto as President Noh did. It is my hope that Korea someday is seen not only as a strong economy globally, but is also seen as a tolerant society where power does not corrupt, but power is used to help even the helpless. It is my hope that President Noh's son and daughter, his wife, and all of his extended family find comfort in knowing that President Noh was an honorable man and was the spark that lit the fire of true democracy in Korea.

Bullet Taxi?

There are lots of things that I had no experience with before I came to Seoul. This is but one of them.

As my family is in the US, I live in Seoul by myself. That means that I can work very late with few worries. Anyway, one late night (about 1AM) I finished up work and decided to take a taxi home. At that time I lived in CheongDam dong (in Kangnam for those of you who know Seoul) and was coming from Anyang. Normally that trip, about 25 km, takes about 40~45 minutes in good traffic. Granted, it was after midnight so the traffic was fairly light, but this night the journey took only about 20 minutes. Why you ask? Bullet taxi!!!

The experience was like riding with a stock car driver at the wheel. Pedal to the metal with the speedo pinging off of the max then, without warning, hard on the brakes until our speed was less than 80 kph. So why the on/off the gas and brakes? It wasn't like we were making left turns (as the stock car drivers do). Instead, we were slowing down for traffic cameras. Yes, the GPS system was telling the driver where the next camera was. And sure enough, just a few hundred meters before the camera the driver got on the brakes hard. A few seconds later the GPS system told the driver he successfully negotiated the camera and back on the gas it was. Don't get me wrong... I really enjoy riding with a driver who doesn't mind being aggressive (actually, I enjoy powerful cars, the more the better) so I really enjoyed the ride. However the fun part came at the traffic lights. We slowed to maybe 50 kph, but the driver had no intention of stopping for any red light unless absolutely necessary. The ped x-ings rated a mere 80 kph.

Anyway, the next day I described the experience to one of my colleagues at work and I was told that I had taken a "Bullet Taxi". Hmm... can you pay extra for that?

I'd like to use my lifeline please!

File this one under "WTF". I was checking out the new place where I am staying. It is on the 10th floor of a 15 floor building. My last place was on the 22nd floor of a 27 floor building and apparently did not have the need for one of these. The box is marked "Simple Descending Lifeline" in English or "간이완강기" in Korean. OK, so the name is descriptive enough... I look closer and find it is tethered to the wall with a very large anchor bolt. I guess that is to support my weight (as well as a theft deterrent). OK, everything makes sense so far, so I say to myself "How do I get out of here if I need to use it?" Ah, yes, the window has a handle and voila over the side we go. However, the only small problem is that the window is set to open only a few millimiters at the bottom and about 10cm at the top. WTF?

Taxi!

So I wanted to catch a taxi in Seoul. At first it was not easy and there were lots of rules to learn. I will tell you about my first attempt in a later post, but first, let me tell you one of the most important rules.

The Wave.
Anyone who has ever hailed a taxi knows that "the wave" is a gesture that all taxi drivers know and to which they respond. However, in Korea, whether trying to get the attention of a taxi driver or your Korean friend down the hall, there is a specific wave that will work. On the other hand, if you are looking piss off the taxi driver (or your friend for that matter), the US version of the wave will do quite fine. Put your arm at a 90 degree angle with palm facing you and gesture with your hand "come hither" style. It turns out that in Korea, that kind of wave is only used for calling animals -- your pet, a stray dog, etc. The taxi driver (or your friend) will not take kindly to such a gesture. Instead, extend your arm straight out parallel to the ground with your palm down and subtly flap your hand up and down.

So, what is it about Korea that is so interesting?

My first trip to Korea was in May of 2001. It was a bit of an inauspicious start. I was overwhelmed by the "foreign-ness" of Korea. Everything was foreign to me -- the food, the language, the customs -- how was I to function here? However, I soon let go of my fears and started to enjoy my surroundings. I have had many experiences here in Korea and most were very positive. Now, as my assignment is coming to an end here in Korea, I have decided to blog about my experiences in Korea. Some will be about things that happened in the past, however, most will be about my everyday happenings as they happen. I hope that you will enjoy what I have to say. Also, if you want to know more about Korea -- people, places, pics, etc. -- just let me know and either I will answer or I will find someone with an answer.

Tim