The class 8500 is a Co-Co electric locomotive that was built by Hyundai Rotem for freight service. Between 2012 and 2014, 87 locomotives were completed. They were mainly intended to replace the Bo-Bo-Bo class 8000 built by Alstom and Daewoo in the seventies and eighties. Most of the traction electrics came from Toshiba, including IGBT inverters and three-phase AC traction motors. With a top speed of 150 km/h, they can also haul high-speed freight trains. Although they can not provide head-end power, they are also being used for passenger service.