KIA Motors Sohari Plant (Gwangmyeong) | factory, production, car assembly factory

 factory, production, car assembly factory

The Sohari Plant was Kia Motors first integrated automobile manufacturing plant, established in 1973. Subsequently, the plant manufactured Kia's first internal combustion engine, followed by the manufacture of its first automobile, the Kia Brisa (1974–1982).

The South Korean government forced Kia to halt car production in 1981, assessing the Korean auto market as too competitive.The government allowed the company to resume manufacturing in 1986 with its agreement to build the Ford Festiva for export.

The Sohari Plant manufactured the Kia Pride and its rebadged variants the Ford Festiva and Mazda 121, as well as the subsequent Kia Avella and its variant, the Ford Aspire. The factory currently manufactures the Kia Carnival/Sedona (and its variant the Hyundai Entourage, 2007–2009), Kia Rio and Kia K9.

The plant is located in Soha-dong, Gwangmyeong, South Korea, near the country's capital of Seoul in the Gyeonggi province — with ready access to labor, other resources and transportation facilities, as well as the Seoul metropolitan area.