North Korea , or if you prefer, the DPRK , is currently moving the world mainly thanks to threats of nuclear attacks. However, few people know that even in this otherwise strict country they have their own car factory .
It's called Pyeonghwa Motors . It was founded in 1999 thanks to the Unification Church (South Korea) and Ryonbong General Corp. (North Korea). Among the key people are the director of the company – Park Sang-Kwon and, of course, the North Korean government headed by Kim Jong-un. It is not without interest that Pyeonghwa Motors is the only company in the country that can manufacture and sell both new and used cars. In addition, it is also the only company that has officially consecrated advertising panels and spots around the roads and on television.
That should be enough for the introduction. Now let's look at the brand's production program. It is mainly based on licensing models . In the current portfolio we can find rebranded models of Fiat, SsangYong and the Chinese brands Brilliance or Shuanghuan. The last car is a kind of mixture of Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento. Both in previous generations.
The main models include the compact Hwiparam , which is currently in its third generation. Unlike the first (derived from the Fiat Palio), the third generation has its roots in China and specifically in Brilliance. Since 2004, the off-road pickup Ppoggugi has been offered, which is currently also offered in the third generation. A little more luxurious is the Ppoggugi 4×4 version, which is nothing more than a puzzle of Hyundai and Kia. The offer also includes a purely commercial vehicle. The Samcheonri van or small minibus has its roots in one of the many versions of the Toyota Hiace that was later sold under license to China. The last model is the large limousine Junma , which is based on the South Korean SsangYong Chairman H.
If you are interested in production numbers, they are not very big. In 2003, the car company produced 314 cars, two years later exactly 400 cars. At the same time , the factory has a capacity of 10,000 cars , so it is not surprising that the gradual cancellation of the car factory was announced last winter. North Koreans simply don't like new or used cars.
In the attached videos , you will find a report from the Pyeonghwa Motors factory and also a kind of spot on the first generation Hwiparam sedan. The photo gallery contains a complete overview of cars that were or are being produced in the DPRK.
##KRDR1##
##DPRK2##
Source: wikipedia.org, Pyeonghwa Motors, carscoops.com
