Kong takes the reins as new COO of Hyundai Construction Equipment

Kong has been working for Hyundai for 30 years and has held several positions within the company.
Hyundai Heavy Industries has announced the appointment of K.Y. Kong as the new chief operating officer (COO) of the Hyundai Construction Equipment division.
Kong has been working for Hyundai for 30 years and has held several positions within the company, which include, head of global Forklift Sales and head of Production. Kong will continue with maximising operational excellence in both development and production.
“Technology, quality, marketing and HR are the key drivers for sustainable growth in our business. I am very confident that by focusing on these four pillars we will deliver great value to our customers, grow our market share and achieve our goal of becoming a global top-three construction equipment manufacturer and a top-ten material handling equipment manufacturer,” says Kong.
In his new role, Kong succeeds outgoing COO S.G. Rhee who has since retired. During the past years, Rhee has steered the company through challenging times amid a recessive economy in global markets such Brazil, Russia, China and many others. He has also initiated a comprehensive programme to reduce operating costs and to re-align and minimise the number of key suppliers.
“Kong and I have managed numerous projects together. This makes me believe that this transition should work out smoothly,” says Rhee.