Sales of imported vehicles in South Korea rose by 1.4% to 23,755 units in June, from 23,435 units a year earlier, according to data Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association (KAIDA).
The association said the import sector growth was driven by Japanese-made "green" cars such as petrol-hybrid models, while demand for imported diesel-powered models continued to weaken ahead as the government looks to reduce particulate emissions in the country.
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European brands continued to dominate the import segment last month, however, even as their combined sales fell by 4.8% to 16,998 units, while Japanese brands enjoyed a 21% jump to 4,733 units.
In the first half of the year sales of imported vehicles increased by 1.2% to 118,152 units, from 116,749 in the same period of last year, to account for 15.5% of the total vehicle market.
Mercedes-Benz remained the leading import brand in the six-month period, with sales rising by to 37,723 units, followed by BMW with 28,998 units – helped by the launch of the new 5-series model earlier in the year.
See also: South Korean domestic sales fall 13% in June
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