Seoul Auto Show Report

Lee Yong-sung of thwe Korean Times reported the reasons that The Cars The Star.at

Why do city people want to drive? For time efficiency alone the subway would be a safer choice. However, people gladly take the risk of going all the way through the center of traffic hell to express themselves by the vehicles they choose. Simply put, cars are not just transportation. The Seoul Motor Show 2002, now on until November 29 at COEX, in Samsung-dong, southern Seoul, presents to us the cultural side of driving in this chaotic traffic.

In Seoul there are more than 2,600,000 registered vehicles, and the city is notorious for its chronic traffic jams. Still, cars are also fashion accessories and help position their owner as someone of a certain life style. People who crave status would drive luxury sedans rather than sports utility vehicles. By the same token, for those who care about the practicality the most, an old Chevy pickup could be the ideal choice.

Different color choices also speak loudly about car owners' tastes. Black and white have been until recently the two most popular colors for sedans, and fit perfectly with the somewhat traditional and conservative taste of domestic drivers. However, especially for compact cars and sports utility vehicles, colors are getting diverse as more people start to drive at a comparatively younger age than before.

If cars are fashion accessories, a motor show might be thought of as a fashion show for the motor industry. The Seoul Motor Show 2002 is no exception in that it shows us the newest trends of car design and suggests the future vision of the industry.

Under the slogan ``Meet Another Dream on Wheels, the fourth biannual motor event presents various concept cars and production cars that visually show us the upcoming looks and technology of next-generation vehicles. ``Sports utility vehicles and multipurpose vehicles are expected to enjoy even higher popularity for a while with the spread of the five-day workweek and increased leisure time caused by it,¡¯¡¯ Lee Yoon-su, assistant manager of the Product Marketing Team at Hyundai Motor Company, said.

Major car companies joining the show are also eager to be seen as environmentally friendly by presenting new electric technologies for their concept cars. ``We don¡¯t have any technology to reduce the number of cars drastically, but we are doing our best to make each unit the most clean and environmentally friendly vehicle." Lee said.

If you are not interested in any car exhibited, that's fine. The motor show is full of exciting cultural events hosted by the car companies, such as ``World Dance Parade", with traditional dance troupes from various countries, a quiz show on automobile trivia where the public can win prizes and a performance by the Nanta percussion group.

You may feel nervous about traffic jams and car accidents happening almost every day near around us, but don¡¯t worry. As long as the cars are exhibited at the Seoul Motor Show 2002, they are safe and enjoyable. So relax and have fun. For more information, call the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association at (02) 3660-1800 or go to www.motorshow.or.kr.