Hyundai is not a Japanese company, but rather a South Korean multinational automotive producer based in Seoul, South Korea. The company was founded in 1967 by Chung Ju yung as part of the Hyundai Engineering and Construction Company. While Japanese automakers like Toyota and Honda are its primary market competitors, Hyundai maintains its own unique South Korean corporate heritage and design philosophy. Today it stands as one of the largest and most successful Asian vehicle manufacturers in the world.