K100 Jeep

K100 Jeep
Type	1/4-ton truck
Place of origin	South Korea
Production history
Designer	American Motors Corporation Shinjin Jeep
Designed	1974–1975
Manufacturer	Shinjin Jeep
Produced	1975–1978

The K100 "Jeep" is a 4x4 1/4-ton utility truck developed by American Motors Corporation and Shinjin Jeep (now KG Mobility) for the Republic of Korea Armed Forces in 1975.

Development

In March 1969, Shinjin Motors and Kaiser Jeep signed a technical partnership to locally assemble complete knock-down kits for 3,000 Jeep CJ-5s every year. To receive a cash loan from the government, Shinjin Motors claimed the Jeeps would be supplied to the Republic of Korea Reserve Forces; however, the company also had the intention of selling them to the public market. Later, the government was criticized for granting an unfair financial advantage to Shinjin Motors.

On 15 July 1969, Shinjin Motors began constructing a new factory in Busan. In the meantime, 450 CJ-5s were built in the factory located in Bupyeong from November 1969 to March 1970. The completion ceremony for the new factory was held on 15 April 1970.

On 3 April 1970, Shinjin Motors donated three CJ-5s to the Blue House, which were then transferred to the ROK Reserve Forces by President Park Chung Hee on 30 April, making them the first vehicles operated by the military. The Korean National Police also became the operator of CJ-5s on 10 December 1970.

In April 1974, Shinjin Jeep Co., Ltd. was established through a 50-50 joint venture with the American Motors Corporation and Shinjin Motors. After the creation of the new company, the AMC stopped manufacturing the four-cylinder engine and changed to a six-cylinder engine, then tried to sell the vehicle to the South Korean military.

The militarized vehicle was first released to the public on 2 October 1974.

See also

• K111 Jeep