Founded in 1944 as Kyungsung Precision Industry by Kim Chul-ho in Seoul, South Korea.
Hyundai Motor Company holds 34.53% of Kia Corporation’s shares as of the end of 2024 (Kia IR).
Record global sales of 3,089,457 vehicles in 2024, with annual revenue of KRW 107.45 trillion (~$75 billion) (Kia Newsroom).
Operating profit margin of 11.8% in 2024 — the highest among major global automakers that year.
Kia Corporation is owned by Hyundai Motor Company, which holds a 34.53% stake and controls the automaker through the Hyundai Motor Group cross-shareholding structure. The NPS of South Korea is the second-largest named shareholder at 7.12%, while foreign investors collectively own 38.16%.
Kia is South Korea’s oldest car company, tracing its roots to 1944. It operates plants across South Korea, the U.S. (Georgia), Slovakia, Mexico, India, and China. The company crossed KRW 100 trillion in annual revenue for the first time in 2024, driven by SUV demand and an expanding EV lineup including the EV6, EV9, and EV3. Kia targets 3.22 million units in global sales for 2025.
Who Owns Kia Motors?
Kia Corporation (KSE: 000270) is a publicly traded affiliate of Hyundai Motor Group. Hyundai Motor Company is the single largest shareholder, holding 137,318,251 common shares — 34.53% of all issued shares — as of December 31, 2024, per Kia’s official investor relations data.
Combined with shares held by Group Chairman Euisun Chung (1.78%) and other executives, total related-party ownership reaches 36.31%. This gives the group effective control over board appointments and strategic direction despite not holding a majority stake.
Kia ownership through the Hyundai Motor Group structure
The Kia Motors ownership arrangement operates through cross-shareholdings common among South Korean chaebols. Kia itself holds minority stakes in more than 20 Hyundai Motor Group subsidiaries, with combined holdings worth over $8.3 billion. Voting follows a one-share-one-vote principle with no dual-class or golden share arrangements.
Largest Shareholders of Kia Corporation
Kia Corporation shareholder breakdown (as of end of 2024)
Hyundai Motor Company — controlling shareholder
Hyundai Motor Company acquired a controlling stake in Kia during a government-supervised auction in 1998, after Kia filed for bankruptcy during the Asian Financial Crisis. Since then, Hyundai Motor has maintained its position as the dominant Kia Motors shareholder. The ownership aligns Kia with Hyundai’s E-GMP electric vehicle platform, shared procurement, and coordinated production investments in Georgia (U.S.) and Zilina (Slovakia).
National Pension Service of South Korea
The NPS held 28,312,832 shares (7.12%) as of end-2024. As one of the world’s largest pension funds, it has become more active in Korean corporate governance since adopting the Korea Stewardship Code, voting on dividend policy and board independence matters.
Foreign institutional investors
Foreign investors collectively hold 38.16% of Kia’s shares — the largest ownership category. This group includes passive index funds managed by BlackRock, Vanguard, and State Street, plus actively managed Korea-focused funds. Rising dividends (KRW 6,500 per share for 2024, up from KRW 5,600 in 2023) and share buyback programs have attracted income-focused global investors.
Employee stock ownership and treasury shares
Kia’s employees collectively hold 2.21% through the Employee Stock Ownership Association. The company also held 3,973,369 treasury shares (1.00%) as of end-2024 and has been actively buying back and cancelling shares — the 2025 buyback budget is KRW 700 billion.
Who Is on the Board of Directors for Kia Corporation?
Kia’s board consists of nine directors: four internal (executive) and five independent. This meets Korean Commercial Act requirements mandating independent directors fill at least half of all seats at large public companies.
Executive directors and group leadership
Euisun Chung serves as Chairman of the Board. He has been a Kia director since 2003, was reappointed in March 2025, and is also Chairman of Hyundai Motor Group. He personally holds 7,061,331 Kia shares (1.78%).
Ho Sung Song is CEO and President, leading Kia since 2020. Under his tenure, Kia reached record revenue and profitability. Jun Young Choi is Chief Safety Officer and President, heading Human Resources. Seung-Jun Kim joined the board in March 2025 as CFO and Executive Vice President, running the Finance and Accounting Division.
Independent directors — audit and governance oversight
Wha Sun Jho is a professor at Yonsei University and sits on the Audit Committee and Independent Director Recommendation Committee. In Kyung Lee is CFO of MBK Partners, with prior experience at Morgan Stanley and Deloitte Korea. She serves on the Audit Committee and Compensation Committee.
Independent directors — industry and academic expertise
Chan Hyuk Chyun is CEO of CESCO and was appointed in 2023. Jae-Yong Shin is a professor of business management at Seoul National University with prior appointments at the University of Illinois and PwC. Jennifer Hyunjong Shin is a professor of Mechanical Engineering at KAIST and previously served as an advisor to the Presidential Advisory Council on Science and Technology. She was reappointed in March 2025.
History of Kia Motors and Its Founder
Kim Chul-ho and the founding of Kyungsung Precision Industry
Kim Chul-ho established Kyungsung Precision Industry in 1944, manufacturing steel tubing and bicycle parts in a post-war Korea with almost no domestic industrial base. The company produced South Korea’s first domestically made bicycle, the Samchuly, in 1951. Kim’s factory was one of the country’s earliest private manufacturing ventures during the transition from Japanese colonial rule to independence.
From bicycles to automobiles
The company rebranded to Kia Industries in 1952 and progressively moved from two-wheeled vehicles into motorcycles, light trucks, and passenger cars. Kia opened its Sohari plant in Gwangmyeong in 1973. Through licensing deals with companies like Mazda and other Japanese automakers, Kia built up its engineering capability through the 1970s and 1980s.
The company became Kia Motors Corporation in 1990 and entered the U.S. market in 1993 through four dealerships in Portland, Oregon. By 1995, Kia had over 100 American dealerships. But Korean conglomerates were overextended, and the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis exposed their vulnerabilities.
Bankruptcy, Hyundai acquisition, and the modern era
Kia declared bankruptcy in 1997. Hyundai Motor won the creditor-supervised auction in 1998, acquiring a 51% stake. This brought Kia into what is now Hyundai Motor Group, the world’s third-largest automaker by volume. Under Hyundai’s ownership, Kia hired designer Peter Schreyer from Audi in 2006 and invested in quality and global manufacturing. In 2021, it rebranded as Kia Corporation, reflecting broader ambitions in EVs and mobility services.
FAQs
Who is the current owner of Kia Motors?
Hyundai Motor Company is the controlling owner, holding 34.53% of Kia Corporation’s shares as of end-2024. Total related-party holdings reach 36.31% through the Hyundai Motor Group structure.
Is Kia a subsidiary of Hyundai?
Kia is a publicly traded affiliate, not a wholly owned subsidiary. Hyundai Motor is the largest shareholder, but Kia maintains its own board, management, and independent listing on the Korea Exchange.
When did Hyundai acquire Kia?
Hyundai Motor acquired a 51% controlling stake in Kia in 1998 through a government-supervised auction, after Kia’s 1997 bankruptcy during the Asian Financial Crisis.
Who founded Kia Motors?
Kim Chul-ho founded Kia in 1944 as Kyungsung Precision Industry, a steel tubing and bicycle parts manufacturer. It became Kia Industries in 1952 and Kia Motors Corporation in 1990.
What is Kia Corporation’s stock ticker?
Kia trades on the Korea Exchange under ticker 000270, with 397,672,632 total issued common shares as of end-2024.
