Koreans copy German design?

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http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200902/200902250002.html

The Korean Behind the New Mercedes Benz SLR


Yoon Il-hun is the designer of the Mercedes Benz SLR McLaren Stirling Moss, the final version of the SLR series shown at the Detroit Motor Show last month. Yoon (35) is a Korean designer now working at Mercedes Benz headquarters in Germany.
"I felt huge pressure because it's a famous car," he said. "I had to redesign the old SLR with a contemporary sense. I kept worrying that it must never be ordinary." The Stirling Moss has been hailed as a stylish combination of the original 300 SLR's image and a modern sensibility.

As a senior at the Department of Industrial Design at Hongik University, Yoon mailed his application and portfolio to car manufacturers including Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Audi, and Ford. Surprisingly, Mercedes-Benz responded to Yoon's challenge, giving him a chance to work at its Advanced Design Studio in Yokohama, Japan in late 2003. "I loved that they gave me a chance regardless of my work experience," he says.

He moved to Germany in 2005 and participated in some key projects. In 2007, he completed the exterior design of the Stirling Moss, the final version of the top SUV series. He said Europe's car industry thinks highly of Korean designers' sensibility and productivity. "Kia's Soul, Forte, and Hyundai's Genesis Coupe in particular can compete with any famous foreign cars," he says.

(englishnews@chosun.com )