The value of South Korean vehicle exports rose by 5.8% year-on-year to US$ 6.79 billion in June 2026, driven by strong overseas sales of battery-powered and hybrid-electric vehicles by the country’s main automakers, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources.
This was a record high for the month of June, with the value of shipments to Europe rising by 13.7%, while exports to North America rose by 12.3%, and shipments to Latin America rising by 5.1%. Overall exports of eco-friendly vehicles surged by over 31% to US$ 2.9 billion, according to the Ministry.
The strong June data followed weak production and exports in previous months, due mainly to temporary auto parts shortages affecting key automakers, particularly Hyundai Motor. Overall vehicle production in the country rebounded by 12% year-on-year to 394,210 units last month, according to industry data, with domestic sales by the ‘Big Five’ automakers rising by 5% to 117,390 units.
In the first half of 2026, total vehicle output declined slightly to 2,110,783 units, while the value of exports was down by just over 1% to US$ 35.95 billion.
