U.S. automaker General Motors (GM) has dispelled “withdrawal” speculation that arose over the sale of its directly operated service centers by announcing an investment of USD 300 million (approximately KRW 440 billion) in its production facilities in Korea. The company presented a blueprint to elevate Korea beyond a simple production base into a core global engineering hub.

On the 15th, GM Korea held the “2026 Business Strategy Conference” at its Cheongna Proving Ground in Incheon and unveiled its future roadmap. Hector Villarreal, President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of GM Korea, stated, “We will strengthen our full-cycle capabilities from design to production and sales, expand our internal combustion engine and electric vehicle portfolios, and introduce advanced driving technologies to grow together with the Korean market.”

The company will in fact significantly strengthen its domestic product lineup. By introducing GMC and Buick next year, GM Korea will complete a four-brand structure together with Chevrolet and Cadillac, becoming the first market outside North America to operate all GM brands. It also announced a plan to invest about USD 300 million in production facilities and to launch at least four new models by 2026.

Through the “Virtual Engineering Lab,” which opened that day at the Cheongna Proving Ground, GM Korea also presented a vision to integrate its dispersed R&D organizations and maximize development efficiency by combining virtual simulations with real-vehicle testing. Brian McMurray, President of the GM Technical Center Korea, stressed that “Korea is a core hub leading GM’s future technologies.”

As the labor union has recently protested the sale of directly operated service centers, calling it “effectively a step toward withdrawal,” the new investment plan is seen as an attempt to dismiss such withdrawal rumors. Villarreal emphasized, “We will continue to invest in our production base,” adding, “GM’s commitment to Korea is unwavering.”

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