Though sales dipped towards the end of the year, in line with most markets, South Korea’s auto industry nonetheless posted a modest increase for the full year.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Data Insights

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more


The country’s five domestic automakers led by Hyundai Motor sold a combined 5.35m units in 2008, up 2.4% year on year.


Domestic sales fell 5.1% to 1.15m units while exports rose 4.7% to 4.21m units.


Hyundai Motor sales rose 6.9% to 2.78m, short of the initially targeted 3.11m.


Hyundai’s home market sales fell 8.7% to 570,962 units, but exports rose 11.8% to 2.21m.

Just Auto Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Just Auto Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact.

Excellence in Action
Continental has secured the Window Displays Innovation Award in the 2025 Just Auto Excellence Awards for its Window Projection solution, transforming side windows into dynamic, data-rich canvases. Discover how this compact projection technology and intelligent software are reshaping in-car UX and opening fresh revenue streams for OEMs and mobility providers.

Discover the Impact