Oscar Kwon, president and CEO of Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America, will retire August 31, after 33 years of service to Hyundai Motor Company.
The company made the announcement in a release Friday, stating “Kwon has been instrumental at HMGMA (Metaplant America) in overseeing the establishment of the new manufacturing plant and the initiation of automobile production, beginning in October 2024.”
Hyundai broke ground on the 2,541-acre site in October 2022 and commenced production operations at the plant in August 2024. The first vehicle, a Hyundai IONIQ 5, rolled off the assembly line Oct. 4, 2024 and continued in March 2025 with the addition of the IONIQ 9.
The company also announced Friday that Tony Heo was named the new president and CEO of Metaplant America, effective Sept. 2.
“Since joining HMC in 1995, Heo has demonstrated strong leadership in manufacturing operations, strategic planning and production coordination,” the release stated.
Heo has served as executive coordinator of production at Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Alabama since 2021.
Heo also was on the team that selected the Ellabell megasite as the eventual home of the Metaplant. He majored in mechanical engineering at Pusan National University in Busan, South Korea.
“HMGMA is extremely thankful for Oscar’s leadership, which laid the foundation for the future of the Metaplant,” said Chris Susock, chief manufacturing officer for Hyundai Motor North America. “We are excited to welcome Tony to the Meta Pro family at HMGMA as we continue to build the future, together.”
Hyundai Motor Group said its investment in Georgia related to the Metaplant and joint battery ventures with LG Energy Solution and SK On is $12.6 billion, the largest single business investment in Georgia history. The company said in March that it expects to reach its previously stated goal of 8,500 total jobs at the Metaplant by 2031.
In an email, Bianca Johnson, the Metaplant’s manager for communications and public relations, said, as of Aug. 18, the plant had 1,438 total employees, which doesn’t include Korean expatriates. Among the 1,438 workers, 1,394 are from Georgia, including 1,137 employees who are from what Hyundai calls the Greater Savannah area, a 60-mile radius from the plant.
Bulloch County has the second-highest level of employment in the plant among area counties, with Bulloch residents comprising 16% of the total workforce. Chatham County is first with 40% of its workforce, Bryan County is third with 10%, and Effingham County is fourth with 9% of the HMGMA workforce.
In Bulloch County, three tier-one, direct suppliers to Hyundai are currently operating or completing manufacturing plants.
• AJIN Georgia, which manufactures stamped-metal parts that comprise much of the framework of passenger vehicles
• Hanon Systems is a maker of "automotive thermal and energy management" equipment, which includes air-conditioning components
• Ecoplastic America Corporation, will manufacture injection-molded plastic automotive body parts for Hyundai Motor Group vehicles.