Hankook Tire America Corp. Selects JMPR Public Relations as Agency of Record for North America

WOODLAND HILLS, Calif., Dec. 18, 2006 -- Hankook Tire America Corp. (www.hankooktireusa.com), has engaged JMPR Public Relations to assist with its public relations and media relations initiatives, including brand enhancement, new product debuts, motorsports programs, dealer relations, and special projects.

JMPR will assist Hankook Tire America Corp. with North American media outreach and provide public relations assistance for the company and its full range of passenger, high-performance, light and medium truck, winter radial, original equipment and truck and bus radial tires. JMPR will work directly with Hankook Tire America Corp's internal public relations management with strategic planning, development and implementation of creative PR campaigns around the company's new product introductions, on-site assistance at trade and auto show events, support with Hankook's ride and drive programs, and crisis communications. JMPR also will handle print, electronic and Internet media outreach.

As part of its efforts, JMPR also will work with the internal corporate communications team at parent company Hankook Tire Co., Ltd. in Korea to manage select corporate media outreach and assist with the coordination of its global PR efforts.

Hankook Tire America Corp., distributes and markets a complete line of passenger radials, high-performance tires, light truck, SUV, and 4x4 tires, as well as medium truck and bus tires throughout the U.S. and Puerto Rico. From a series of regional offices, Hankook oversees 500 independent dealers with more than 3,000 sales locations nationwide. Hankook also operates state-of-the-art research and development facilities in the U.S. and overseas.

JMPR (www.jmprpublicrelations.com) is based in Woodland Hills and was founded in 1977. Its clients, covering a wide variety of automotive, motorcycle and lifestyle industries, include Black & Decker (Price Pfister and Kwikset divisions), Boyd Gaming Corporation, Bugatti Automobiles, S.A.S., Callaway Cars, Coker Tire Company, Ducati North America, duPont Publishing, Foose Design, Hagerty Insurance, J.D. Power and Associates, Meguiar's, Inc., the National Limousine Association, the Petersen Automotive Museum, RM Auctions, and SPEED.