Kim Hyeong-jun, CEO of Daewoo Automobile Preservation Research Institute, poses in front of his 1993 Le Mans passenger car. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, Feb. 10 (Korea Bizwire) — Until the late 1990s, the gray uniforms of Daewoo Motors workers in Bupyeong, Incheon, were a symbol of pride. These “Daewoo men” were welcomed everywhere in town, representing not just local economic vitality but South Korea’s industrial might.
That era came to an abrupt end when Daewoo Motors defaulted in November 2000, amid the aftermath of the Asian financial crisis. While General Motors acquired the company in 2002, rebranding it first as GM Daewoo and later as GM Korea in 2011, the Daewoo name faded into automotive history.
But a group of young South Koreans is working to preserve the legacy of the defunct automaker, whose models like the LeMans, Leganza, Espero, Prince, and Magnus once dominated Korean roads.
Daewoo Motors’ past model lineup, clockwise from the top left: Magnus, Leganza, Espero, Prince. (Yonhap)
The Daewoo Motors Preservation Institute, founded in April 2021, consists of six members from the so-called Generation MZ (born between 1984 and 2004). Without any corporate backing or connection to former Daewoo employees, these enthusiasts have collected over 4,000 pieces of Daewoo-related artifacts and memorabilia.
The institute’s director, Kim Hyung-joon, 21, purchased a 1993 LeMans immediately after getting his driver’s license in high school. Their dedication extends beyond mere nostalgia – researcher Kim Dong-young, 25, has maintained an automotive blog for over a decade, offering insightful analysis of Korea’s automotive industry history.
The group recently contributed over 80 items, including a Lanos launch commemorative clock and promotional calculators, to a special exhibition “40 Years of Incheon Automobiles” at the Incheon Urban History Museum. They’re also collaborating with GM Korea’s labor union to preserve Bupyeong Plant 2, Korea’s first modern automobile factory.
This December, Kim plans an ambitious journey in his 30-year-old LeMans from the GM Korea Bupyeong plant to Tokyo, via ferry from Busan to Shimonoseki, Japan.
Why focus on the ‘failed’ Daewoo? When asked this question, Kim Dong-young responded without hesitation: “Daewoo Motors represented an unyielding spirit of challenge for the development of Korea’s automotive industry. Though it disappeared into history, it remains our precious automotive heritage that should never be forgotten.”
The preservation efforts have caught the attention of GM Korea employees. “Sometimes they have items that even employees who’ve worked here for nearly 30 years don’t possess,” said Kim Woong-heon, director of external policy at GM Korea’s labor union. “We’re considering ways to collaborate on projects that will keep the history of Daewoo Motors, built with workers’ blood and sweat, alive.”
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
