Finals held at paint education center in Eumseong-gun, North Chungcheong Province on Saturday

Winners selected through blending and color-matching evaluations

Volvo Car Korea holds its 2026 Paint Skills Competition at a paint education center in Eumseong-gun, North Chungcheong Province, selecting three official paint specialists. [Volvo Car Korea]
Volvo Car Korea holds its 2026 Paint Skills Competition at a paint education center in Eumseong-gun, North Chungcheong Province, selecting three official paint specialists. [Volvo Car Korea]

Volvo Car Korea announced Tuesday that it held its 2026 Paint Skills Competition at a paint education center in Eumseong-gun, North Chungcheong Province, selecting three official paint specialists.

The competition, held biennially since 2018, aims to raise the expertise and service quality of paint technicians. Technicians from authorized service centers nationwide first sit a written qualifying exam, with finalists then evaluated on the technical skill and quality of their actual paint work.

A total of 26 technicians entered this year's qualifying round, and the eight highest scorers advanced to the finals. Divided into two groups, the finalists competed in two categories: blending, which involves seamlessly matching repairs on damaged exterior panels with the surrounding paintwork, and color mixing, which requires precisely reproducing a vehicle's original color.

Technician Kong Jong-jin of Taeyoung Motors' Daegu service center took first place, while technician Lee Hyeon-seok of Aju Autorium's Anyang service center and technician Kim Dong-ho of Kolon Automotive's Pangyo service center claimed second and third place, respectively. The winners received prize money and gifts.

"Paint is more than an aesthetic feature — it is a critical technology that determines the lifespan and value of a vehicle over the years a customer owns it, protecting against corrosion and preserving durability," said Song Gyeong-ran, executive vice president of service at Volvo Car Korea. "We extend our deepest gratitude to all paint technicians for their dedication to maintaining the highest service quality, and Volvo Car Korea will do its utmost to ensure that their continued efforts become a source of pride."

Meanwhile, Volvo Car Korea is running a range of marketing activities throughout September to enhance customer service and convenience, including offering customers who purchase 2026 mild hybrid or plug-in hybrid models an extended warranty of seven years or 140,000 kilometers.


likehyo85@heraldcorp.com