Kumho Tire unveils Crugen brand film featuring legendary mountaineer Um Hong-gil

Kumho Tire announced Monday it has released a new brand film for Crugen, its SUV-dedicated tire line, featuring world-renowned mountaineer Um Hong-gil.

The film was produced to highlight the technology and philosophy behind the Crugen brand. Beyond simple product promotion, it captures Kumho Tire's efforts to develop tires capable of delivering stable driving performance across a wide range of road conditions in South Korea.

The film was shot at Hwakaksan in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, and at the Seosangdae Bridge and Chuncheon Bridge in Chuncheon, Gangwon Province. It intercuts footage of Um scaling rugged mountain terrain with shots of a vehicle in motion on the road, drawing a parallel between the spirit of challenge and the pursuit of technological innovation.

The product featured in the film is the Crugen GT Pro, a premium SUV tire launched in March. Kumho Tire describes it as the most technically advanced product in the Crugen lineup, with enhanced driving stability and ride quietness.

According to Kumho Tire, the Crugen GT Pro is the only SUV tire in South Korea to achieve a Grade 2 or higher energy efficiency rating for rolling resistance. It also recorded a UTQG treadwear rating of 800 across all sizes, giving it a competitive edge in durability and mileage performance. UTQG is a US Department of Transportation standard that evaluates tires on tread wear, traction and heat resistance.

"Through our collaboration with Um Hong-gil — the first person in history to summit all 16 peaks above 8,000 meters — we wanted to express Kumho Tire's technology philosophy in the most Kumho-like way possible," said Yoon Min-seok, executive vice president of global marketing at Kumho Tire. "We hope that Crugen, built with an uncompromising approach to the road surface, will offer SUV drivers a differentiated driving experience."