Kia's Compliance Pledge Questioned as Hwaseong Cites 2,000 Cars on Factory Land

Hwaseong City Hall issued a corrective notice to the landowner of a factory-zoned parcel in Ujeong-eup, Gyeonggi Province, where about 2,000 new Kia vehicles were stored, saying the use could lead to revoking factory registration. Nate reported the notice on October 20, 2026.

Hwaseong's Notice Over the Ujeong-eup Parcel

The 39,377-square-meter parcel was being used as a storage lot for new Kia vehicles, with models including the EV3, EV4, and Carnival lined up in parallel rows and driving lanes between them. Trailers were seen entering the premises and unloading brand-new vehicles.

The registered land category for the holding area is factory land. Hwaseong City Hall said factory-zoned land must be used strictly for factory purposes and related auxiliary facilities, and that using the site as a vehicle depot is improper and may provide legal grounds for canceling its factory registration under relevant statutes and permit conditions.

An official from Hwaseong City Hall said, "Factory-designated land must be utilized in accordance with its intended purpose as a factory and its associated auxiliary facilities. It cannot be used as an open-air staging depot for new vehicles, and this could constitute grounds for revoking factory registration."

Suwon Comprehensive Junkyard, the landowner, said it made the factory parcel temporarily available at Kia's request because Kia urgently needed space to stage vehicles. The junkyard said no separate written agreement was executed and no monetary consideration was exchanged, and that it plans to clear every vehicle by the 30th.

An official from Suwon Comprehensive Junkyard said, "We temporarily allowed the use of the factory parcel because Kia urgently needed a location to place vehicles. We plan to completely clear all vehicles by the 30th."

A Kia official stated, "We have no knowledge of this and are looking into the matter."

Kia's Compliance Record and Scale

Kia Motors is a South Korean automaker and Hyundai Motor Group subsidiary that builds SUVs, sedans, hybrids, EVs, and purpose-built vehicles, according to company records. The same records list record global sales of 3.14 million vehicles for calendar year 2025 and 277,188 vehicles sold worldwide in April 2026, up 1% year-on-year. First-quarter 2026 sales rose 5.3% to a record 29.5 trillion won, with eco-friendly vehicles at 29.7% of total volume, up from 23.1% a year earlier.

Kia's Recent Product and Business Moves

Kia and Hyundai unveiled Plasma Care UVC, an in-vehicle Far-UVC sanitization system, in June 2026, according to akta.pro company records. The same month, Kia announced its withdrawal from the large bus business after about 60 years, redirecting resources to purpose-built vehicles and electrification. In October 2026, the Kia PV5 won German Compact Car of the Year 2027, an award from GCOTY's 36 experts evaluating over 70 models, EIN Presswire reported.

What Comes Next for the Site

Suwon Comprehensive Junkyard said it plans to completely clear all vehicles from the parcel by the 30th, following the city's corrective notice.