Hankook Marks 85 Years With European Growth in Focus

Hankook is marking its 85th anniversary with Europe central to its next phase of growth. Founded in South Korea in 1941 as Chosun Daiya Industrial, the tyre manufacturer now operates across more than 160 countries, with eight production sites, five development centres and around 20,000 employees.

A Korean manufacturer with global scale

The company says it has grown from Korea’s first tyre company into a global manufacturer serving replacement, original equipment and motorsport markets. Hankook now has seven regional headquarters and 39 local subsidiaries, giving it a broad commercial base across passenger car, SUV, EV, light commercial, truck and bus tyre segments.

That scale matters for tyre wholesalers, retailers and fleet suppliers because Hankook is no longer a challenger brand in many European channels. The company says Europe now accounts for around 45% of its global sales, making the region its largest market.

The anniversary follows a year of strong financial performance. Hankook reported 2025 global consolidated sales of KRW 21.2022 trillion, equivalent to about €13.19 billion, and operating profit of KRW 1.8425 trillion, equivalent to about €1.15 billion. Its tyre business passed KRW 10 trillion in annual sales for the first time, reaching KRW 10.3186 trillion.

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European capacity becomes a trade issue

Hankook’s European growth is increasingly tied to production capacity. The company began manufacturing in Europe in 2007 and broke ground in February 2025 on an expansion of its Hungarian plant.

The project will add a new truck and bus tyre production line with capacity of up to 800,000 units a year. Completion is scheduled for 2027, with a total investment of €540 million and 450 additional jobs expected at the site.

Tyre News recently reported on Hankook’s 2026 UK truck tyre agenda, where the company linked European TBR production to improved supply stability and shorter lead times for fleets.  That gives the anniversary story a practical trade angle beyond the corporate milestone.

OE, motorsport and product credibility

Hankook says it now has 50 original equipment (OE) partnerships worldwide, including several with European vehicle manufacturers. In 2026, the company was also named “Top Manufacturer of the Year” in Auto Bild’s summer tyre category, based on its performance across multiple tyre tests.

Motorsport remains another part of Hankook’s positioning. The company supplies the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship and became exclusive tyre partner to the FIA World Rally Championship in 2025. It is also technical partner and exclusive tyre supplier for the Lamborghini Super Trofeo Series.

Earlier this year, Tyre News covered Hankook becoming a Global Partner of the FIA, including its role in the FIA Sustainable Innovation Series from 2026 to 2028.  Hankook said at the time that technical innovation needed to combine safety, fairness and responsibility.

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Sustainability claims move into procurement territory

Hankook is also using its anniversary year to point to sustainability progress. The company says it has set a “Net Zero by 2050” target aligned with the Science Based Targets initiative, while CDP awarded it an “A” leadership rating for climate change in 2025.

Its EV tyre work is part of the same direction. Hankook launched the iON GT in 2024, describing it as the first EV tyre to carry an EU tyre label triple-A rating while using up to 77% ISCC PLUS-certified sustainable raw materials.

Tyre News has also reported on Hankook’s wider circularity work, including its 2024-25 ESG report and recent ISCC PLUS certification at the Jiaxing plant.   For fleet buyers and retailers, those certifications are becoming more relevant as procurement teams ask for clearer evidence on materials, emissions and supply chains.

A milestone with commercial relevance

Corporate anniversaries can often read as brand exercises. In Hankook’s case, the stronger editorial angle is what the milestone says about the company’s European direction.

The combination of high European sales exposure, expanding TBR capacity, OE partnerships, motorsport supply and certified sustainable materials gives the story relevance for the tyre trade. The test now is whether Hankook can convert that scale into reliable supply, competitive dealer support and credible lifecycle value for European customers.

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Tagged with: Hankook, Hankook 85th anniversary, European tyre market, truck tyres, bus tyres, OE tyres, EV tyres, sustainable tyres, ISCC PLUS, Hungarian tyre plant, Formula E tyres, tyre manufacturing

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