{
  "id": 4509239,
  "title": "Kia salesman turns hobbies into secret for sales milestone",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/30/kia-salesman-turns-hobbies-into-secret-for-sales-milestone",
  "topic": "business",
  "section": "Business",
  "published": "2026-08-30T22:07:02.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Korea Times",
    "slug": "the-korea-times",
    "url": "https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/business/companies/20260831/kia-salesman-turns-hobbies-into-secret-for-sales-milestone"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Kia salesman Kim Hyong-su has reached an impressive milestone in his career, becoming the company's 40th Grand Master salesperson by selling over 4,000 vehicles. This remarkable achievement is the result of Kim's passion for hobbies that extend far beyond the showroom floor.\n\nKim attributes a significant portion of his success to his involvement in various activities outside of work. For over 20 years, he has been a dedicated member of an amateur soccer club, playing the sport that he enjoys immensely. In addition to soccer, Kim has also taken up swimming and later branched out into triathlon, a sport he continues to find challenging and fulfilling.\n\nThe connections he has made through his hobbies have proven to be invaluable in his professional life. Kim explains that when people learn he works for Kia, they often inquire about purchasing a vehicle. Approximately 60% of his sales now come from individual customers, while the remaining 40% are corporate buyers.",
  "summary": "For Kim Hyong-su, a veteran salesman at Kia, some of the most important connections in his career were not made inside a showroom. Sometimes, customers find him on a soccer field. Other times, they meet him through one of his hobbies. Kim, a sales director at the carmaker, has achieved cumulative vehicle sales of 4,000 to become the firm’s 40th Grand Master — a title awarded to salesmen who…",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Korea Times",
        "title": "Kia salesman turns hobbies into secret for sales milestone",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/30/kia-salesman-turns-hobbies-into-secret-for-sales-milestone-4510712",
        "published": "2026-08-30T22:12:03.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}