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Hyundai Motor Group Executive Vice Chairman Euisun Chung (right) and CODE42 CEO Chang-Hyun Song pose for a commemorative photo after their meeting at Hyundai Motorstudio Seoul in Nonhyeon-dong. April 15, 2019. |
[Alpha Biz= Kim Jisun] SEOUL, Dec. 9 — Internal tensions are escalating within Hyundai Motor Group following the resignation of Chang-Hyun Song, former head of the Advanced Vehicle Platform (AVP) Division and a key figure behind the company’s future mobility technologies. The controversy centers on whether 42dot—an autonomous driving platform company founded by Song—violated internal approval procedures and disclosed core technologies through autonomous driving demo videos uploaded to its official YouTube channel.
42dot posted two autonomous driving demonstration videos on Dec. 6, just one day after Song’s resignation was formally accepted. One two-minute video showcases autonomous driving capabilities on actual urban roads, including lane changes and navigation through roundabouts. The other video demonstrates an unmanned parking system based on 42dot’s autonomous technology.
Industry watchers note that the videos appear intended to highlight Hyundai’s autonomous driving capabilities in response to Tesla’s recent global attention-grabbing launch of its updated Full Self-Driving (FSD) system in November. It was also the first time in two years that 42dot had uploaded official demo content.
The controversy intensified because the videos reportedly include detailed autonomous driving technologies and specifications that Hyundai has never previously disclosed externally. A Hyundai insider stated, “We need to investigate how the videos were released and what information was exposed. Showcasing technology is understandable, but unilaterally revealing core technologies still under development poses a significant problem.”
42dot maintains that the videos simply introduce its own technological capabilities and therefore do not present an issue. However, Hyundai internally believes that 42dot posted the videos without prior consultation or approval, fueling calls from some employees for disciplinary action or the removal of the videos. If the videos indeed contain undisclosed proprietary development details, the matter could escalate into a formal information-management violation.
The dispute has further intensified because the uploads came immediately after Song’s departure from both Hyundai Motor and 42dot. The tension is visibly spilling into the public domain, with heated debates in the videos’ comment sections reflecting unresolved disagreements between the two organizations over autonomous driving development and internal decision-making.
Industry observers view this controversy as part of the broader fallout from Song’s resignation. Hyundai is reportedly struggling to appoint new leadership to oversee both the AVP Division and 42dot. Multiple internal rumors about potential successors are circulating, deepening employee anxiety amid the perceived leadership vacuum.
Alphabiz Reporter Kim Jisun(stockmk2020@alphabiz.co.kr)
