By Diplomacy Journal Lee Kap-soo

Hyundai Motor Company will provide official vehicles for the 2025 G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, the company said on Nov. 17.

The company will supply 30 STARIA multi-purpose vehicles (MPVs) as official transportation for delegation staff from participating countries and support the summit’s successful operation. The G20 Leaders’ Summit in Johannesburg will be held November 22–23 under the theme ‘Solidarity, Equality, Sustainability.’

Launched in December 1999 with participation from 20 major economies, including the Republic of Korea and the European Union, the G20 began as a forum of finance ministers and central bank governors to discuss international economic and financial issues.

The first G20 Leaders’ Summit was convened in 2008 in response to the global financial crisis, and in 2009, member countries agreed to hold it regularly, elevating the forum to the highest level for addressing a range of international issues, including those in the economic sphere.

This year’s summit is especially significant as it will be the first G20 Leaders’ Summit ever held on the African continent and the 20th in the forum’s history. Heads of state from G20 member and invited countries, leaders of the European Union and African Union, and representatives of international organizations such as the United Nations, International Monetary Fund and World Bank are expected to attend.

Hyundai Motor selected STARIA for the summit’s fleet based on its future-forward exterior design, expansive sense of interior openness, highly reconfigurable cabin adaptable to diverse needs, and advanced safety and convenience features.

“It is deeply meaningful for us to support the first-ever G20 Summit held in Africa with our vehicles,” said Ilbum Kim, Executive Vice President and the Head of the Global Policy Office at Hyundai Motor Group. “We will do our utmost to contribute to the success of this influential and significant event.”

In September, Hyundai Motor signed a Memorandum of Understanding with South Africa’s Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) at DIRCO headquarters in Pretoria to support the G20 Leaders’ Summit. The ceremony was attended by Ilbum Kim and Honorable Anna Thandi Moraka, Deputy Minister of International Relations and Cooperation for South Africa.