D O Chung

Here at Hyundai Motor America'S. headquarters, they aren't planning a rousing welcome for competitor Kia Motors North America. But HMA President D. O. Chung says he is happy to see the second largest of Korea's three major car makers come ashore. "If they come into this market with a good product, then they enhance Korean products, and that is a benefit to us," he said.

Here at Hyundai Motor America'S. headquarters, they aren't planning a rousing welcome for competitor Kia Motors North America. But HMA President D. O. Chung says he is happy to see the second largest of Korea's three major car makers come ashore. "If they come into this market with a good product, then they enhance Korean products, and that is a benefit to us," he said.

HOT STUFF: There's a spicy new dish coming from Korea--by way of Orange County--and it's not kimchee . . . . Inspired by Mazda's designed-in-Irvine Miata, designers at Hyundai Motor America's studios in Fountain Valley have sculpted their own two-seat roadster prototype. . . . Its code name is HCD-1 and it's been wowing 'em at auto shows around the globe since January. Now the word, from Hyundai Motor America President D.O.

D. O. Chung has been named president and chief executive of Hyundai Motor America, the U.S. sales arm of Hyundai Motor Co., one of South Korea's largest automobile manufacturers. The 51-year-old mechanical engineer, who most recently was vice president of quality control at Hyundai Motor Co. in Seoul, replaces H. W. Baik, Hyundai Motor America's president and chief executive since 1987.

Hyundai controller Paul Koh was found not guilty Thursday of conspiring to illegally contribute corporate money to the 1992 election campaign of Rep. Jay C. Kim (R-Diamond Bar). Immediately after he was acquitted of charges that could have landed him in federal prison for 10 years, Koh let out a loud moan of relief and hugged his attorneys, Jerome Roth and Bart Williams. His wife, Angie, sobbing with emotion, was removed from the downtown federal courtroom at the request of U.S.

Hyundai Motor America Inc. once set U.S. sales records with its low-priced Excel. Now, trying to overcome its image as a second-class car company, the Korean auto maker has introduced its first internally designed engine and says it will bring out at least one new product a year through 1999. The new engine, unveiled Wednesday, is a 1.5-liter, 12-valve design that comes in a regular 92-horsepower configuration or a 115-horsepower turbocharged version.

N. Douglas Mazza, a former top executive at American Suzuki Motor Corp., has been chosen to succeed Rod Hayden, who retires as executive vice president and chief operating officer of Hyundai Motor America Inc. at year's end. In the interim, Mazza will take over the vacant post of marketing vice president at Hyundai. The longtime import-auto marketing specialist has been working as president and chief executive of a health programs marketing company since early last year.

Hyundai controller Paul Koh was found not guilty Thursday of conspiring to illegally contribute corporate money to the 1992 election campaign of Rep. Jay C. Kim (R-Diamond Bar). Immediately after he was acquitted of charges that could have put him in federal prison for 10 years, Koh let out a loud moan of relief and hugged his attorneys, Jerome Roth and Bart Williams. His wife, Angie, was removed sobbing from the downtown courtroom at the request of U.S. Court Judge Richard A. Paez.

Helping Los Angeles rebuild by giving its unemployed a chance to work, Hyundai Motor America, the Korean auto maker, announced a program Thursday that will train South Los Angeles high school graduates to be mechanics and employ them in local dealerships.