Hyundai Motor Group Appoints Autonomous Driving AI Expert Junghyun Kwon as Head of Autonomous Driving Development Center
Hyundai Motor Group has appointed Junghyun Kwon, an autonomous driving AI expert formerly at NVIDIA and Samsung, as Executive Vice President and Head of its Autonomous Driving Development Center to advance its Physical…
2026
What Happened
Hyundai Motor Group has appointed Junghyun Kwon as Executive Vice President and Head of the Autonomous Driving Development Center. Kwon, an autonomous driving AI expert, previously oversaw autonomous driving software development and commercialization at NVIDIA and led intelligent robot development at Samsung Electronics. He will report to Minwoo Park, President and Head of the Advanced Vehicle Platform (AVP) Division, and will lead the group's autonomous driving technology from conception through commercialization.
- Dongwuk Kim appointed as Senior Vice President and Head of SDV Platform Development Center; previously led wireless communication systems development at Apple and Tesla.
- Jeremy Ma appointed as Senior Vice President and Head of AVP Silicon Valley; brings experience from Apple, Toyota Research Institute, and NVIDIA in robotics and autonomous driving software.
These appointments are part of Hyundai Motor Group's broader strategy to recruit key talent in software-defined vehicles and autonomous driving, accelerating its Physical AI vision. The group aims to position autonomous driving as a core pillar of its future mobility strategy.
Previously from Kia
Hyundai Motor Group has been expanding its innovation presence in San Francisco, recently opening a new AVP Silicon Valley hub and announcing a Physical AI vision. At the San Francisco AI Summit last week, Executive Chair Euisun Chung outlined partnerships with NVIDIA and Waymo, reinforcing the group's commitment to autonomous mobility. The appointment of Junghyun Kwon, who previously worked at NVIDIA, aligns with these strategic moves.
- Hyundai Motor Group Expands San Francisco Innovation Ecosystem with Physical AI Vision, New Hub, and Talent Forum
- Hyundai Motor Group Chair Euisun Chung Unveils Physical AI Vision, Partnerships with NVIDIA and Waymo at SF AI Summit
Background drawn from MotorClaw's earlier coverage of Kia's official releases.
Why this matters
This appointment strengthens Hyundai's autonomous driving capabilities, a core part of its Physical AI strategy. Kwon's experience at NVIDIA in autonomous driving software and at Samsung in robotics positions him to lead from concept to commercialization, potentially accelerating the deployment of self-driving technology in Hyundai, Kia, and Genesis vehicles. It also signals the group's aggressive talent acquisition in AI and autonomous driving.
Terms in This Story
- Physical AI
- Artificial intelligence integrated into physical systems such as robots and autonomous vehicles to perceive and act in the real world.
- SDV
- Software-defined vehicle; a vehicle whose features and functions are primarily controlled by software rather than hardware.
- AVP
- Advanced Vehicle Platform; Hyundai Motor Group's division overseeing advanced vehicle technologies.
Summarised from the linked release; details can be imperfect — always verify against the original source.