Hyundai Electronics expands global footprint via trademark rights, seeing robust sales in TVs and garden tools across Latin America and Europe
Hyundai TV [Source: Hyundai Corporation]
A Korean home appliance brand that is nowhere to be found in its domestic market has recorded annual sales of 560 billion KRW abroad. This brand is ‘Hyundai Electronics,’ a name that had vanished from South Korea since the 1990s. Alongside this revival, the brand business of Hyundai Corporation Holdings, which owns the trademark rights of the former Hyundai Electronics, continues to show robust growth.
According to industry sources on the 15th, the name Hyundai Electronics—once thought to be lost to history—is rapidly expanding its presence in the global home appliance market.
Hyundai Corporation Holdings, the holding company of Hyundai Corporation, launched its licensing business in 2007 by acquiring overseas trademark rights from SK Hynix.
This strategic move dates back to the restructuring of the Hyundai Group. When Hyundai Electronics—the predecessor of SK Hynix (formerly Hynix Semiconductor)—divested its home appliance business to focus on semiconductors, international dealers were left seeking a way to continue using the prestigious ‘HYUNDAI’ brand.
In response, Hyundai Corporation Holdings established a model where it granted dealers permission to use the HYUNDAI trademark on products they sourced independently, in exchange for royalties. In 2019, the company sold the trademark rights to HD Hyundai and subsequently leased them back to maintain the continuity of the business.
The brand business currently operates under a dual-track model, combining trademark licensing and Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM). Under the licensing model, overseas distributors are granted the rights to attach the HYUNDAI trademark to products they have independently sourced, for which the company receives royalty payments. Parallel to this, the OEM model involves Hyundai Corporation Holdings directly identifying specialized manufacturers to produce goods, which are then exported under the HYUNDAI brand.
Leveraging these two models, the company has established a robust global network of over 130 overseas dealers across 100 countries, with a particularly strong presence in Europe and Latin America.
[Source: Hyundai Corporation]
appliances and power tools. The appliance division focuses on TVs and Air Treatment (A/T) units as its flagship products, while also offering “white goods” such as refrigerators and washing machines. Currently, Latin America accounts for 35% of total appliance sales, with HYUNDAI TV consistently maintaining a top 3-to-4 brand ranking in Colombia.
The hardware division handles items such as garden tools, power tools, and hand tools. In the European market, products like lawnmowers, brush cutters, drills, and angle grinders have gained significant popularity. A company official explained, “In countries like the UK and Italy, where personal gardening is a common hobby, our garden tools are receiving a great response for offering excellent quality relative to their price.” Europe currently accounts for approximately 45% of the total market share.
The brand business has seen steady growth over the past four years. Revenue for Hyundai Corporation Holdings’ brand division rose from 26.6 billion KRW in 2021 to 37.6 billion KRW in 2022, 44.4 billion KRW in 2023, and reaching 56 billion KRW in 2024. With a cumulative growth rate of 111% over four years and an annual average growth rate (CAGR) of 27%, the brand licensing business has firmly established itself as a primary revenue stream.
Moving forward, Hyundai Corporation Holdings plans to aggressively expand its brand operations. A company official stated, “In the appliance sector, we will focus on Air Treatment (A/T) units, where demand is rapidly increasing due to climate change. In the hardware sector, we aim to strengthen the ‘lock-in effect’ by building a platform where a single battery is compatible with multiple tools.”
The official added, “We will continue to build a stable global brand business structure by identifying new dealers and enhancing quality control for our manufacturers.”
IFA 2023 held in Belin, Germany [Source: Hyundai Corporation]
December 15, 2025
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