The Successor: The Birth of Hyundai Motor Group

What really gave birth to Hyundai Motor Group?

The Successor reveals the untold story behind the birth of Hyundai Motor Group—one of the world’s leading automotive companies. More than a corporate succession story, it shows how a national economic crisis, political transformation, and one family’s struggle for leadership reshaped Korean business history.

Set against South Korea’s recovery from the Asian Financial Crisis, sweeping corporate restructuring, and President Kim Dae-jung’s Sunshine Policy—which opened the door to unprecedented inter-Korean economic cooperation—the book reveals how the late Chung Ju-yung’s final vision for cooperation with North Korea became a defining force in the succession battle that ultimately led to the birth of Hyundai Motor Group.

Drawing on firsthand experience as a senior executive directly involved in many of these events, the author takes readers inside boardrooms, government negotiations, and pivotal moments rarely told in such detail. He offers an insider’s account of the decisions, conflicts, and leadership that transformed a family business into a global automotive powerhouse.

Combining business history, political and diplomatic insight, and personal testimony, The Successor offers valuable lessons in leadership, corporate governance, crisis management, and strategic decision-making. It is essential reading for business leaders, executives, scholars, and anyone interested in business, politics, diplomacy, and modern Korea.

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