Sales of imported vehicles in South Korea jumped by over 20% to 18,386 units in May, from 15,314 units a year earlier, according to the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association.
Imports accounted for 15.2% of the total South Korea car market last month, according to the association.
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European brands took almost 80% of import sales with German brands alone making up over 68% of the total. Japanese brands accounted for just over 12% and US brands 8%.
BMW remained the most popular import brand in May, with 4,649 sales, followed by Mercedes-Benz (3,530) and Volkswagen (2,522). The best selling imported model was BMW’s 320d with 699 sales.
In the first five months of the year, import sales increased by over 25% to 95,557 units, reflecting rising demand for more brand exclusivity and diversification in a market long dominated by domestic brands.
