Short-lived automotive firm set up in the wake of the 1961 military coup that brought Gen Park Chong-hee to power. A group of ethnic Korean businessmen from Japan, headed by Park No-jon, set up Saenara (which translates to new country) and licensed the Datsun Bluebird (310) for manufacture at Bupyeong, Korea. The company closed after a year, never reaching the 6,000 output figure—2,773 cars were made. The official explanation was that there were difficulties linked to currency exchange, though some suspicions fall on the fact that the company would not contribute politically to the new government. Saenara was the forerunner of Shinjin, Saehan and Daewoo.

• Saenara (1962–3)