Kumho: Brand overview
Kumho Tire, a tire manufacturer from South Korea, has a significant position in the industry. Founded in 1960 in Seoul, South Korea, the company manufactures tires for vehicles such as cars, trucks, buses, and aircraft.
Kumho’s manufacturing facilities are located in several countries: South Korea, China, the United States, and Vietnam. The company is known for its technological achievements in the tire industry, particularly developing the world’s first tires equipped with aqua control technology – a revolutionary approach to improving traction and handling on wet roads.
Kumho Tire’s products are not limited to secondary sales: it also supplies original equipment tires to manufacturers such as General Motors, Volkswagen, BMW, and Kia. In addition to its core business, the company is involved in sports, sponsoring respected organizations such as Manchester City Football Club and the Los Angeles Clippers NBA team.
With approximately 9,000 employees worldwide, Kumho Tire had sales of $3.3 billion in 2021. The company’s global distribution network spans more than 180 countries through a combination of local distributors and in-house sales affiliates.
In 2009, Kumho Tire became part of the Doublestar Group but retained its operational independence. The tire industry is highly competitive, and Kumho’s main rivals are industry giants such as Hankook, Pirelli, Continental, and Michelin.
Meaning and History
What is Kumho?
This South Korean tire manufacturer produces products focusing on high performance and advanced technological solutions. The company originally operated under a different name and later became part of a major Chinese tire group. Its products are used in passenger cars, commercial vehicles, and motorsports.
before 2006
2006 – 2018
2018 – today
The Kumho logo is designed in a clean, precise, and modern style. Its primary color is a deep charcoal gray, visually reminiscent of asphalt. This color choice directly associates with road surfaces, reinforcing the company’s strong connection to the automotive industry and tire manufacturing.
“Kumho” is set in a geometric, no-frills typeface similar to Sequel Sans Headline Semi. The letterforms are uniform and stable, projecting confidence without decorative distractions. Their strict proportions and streamlined structure convey professionalism and reliability, while the contemporary font style aligns with the advanced technologies used in the company’s production processes.
The brand name has Korean origins, highlighting Kumho’s cultural identity and honoring its roots. Retaining the original name preserves a sense of authenticity and reinforces the company’s heritage.
The dark gray color contributes to a perception of strength and solidity. It evokes the image of the road itself—a surface built for endurance—mirroring the durability and purpose of Kumho tires. The overall logo communicates the feeling of a strong, well-engineered structure.
Minimalism in the design and the absence of extra elements emphasize the brand’s focus on reliability, practicality, and performance. The visual identity seamlessly blends tradition with modernity, consistently reinforcing Kumho’s reputation in the automotive sector.