More than 80% of imported cars sold in South Korea in the first half of the year were found to be European-made cars.
The Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association said Monday that European cars accounted for 81.1% of a total of 94,263 foreign cars registered between January and June. The number is up 4.0 percentage points from the same period last year and marks the first time the figure has topped the 80% mark.
The market share for European carmakers in South Korea has steadily increased every year since standing at 53.1% in 2008. In 2010, the number stood at 65.4%, then rose to some 74% in 2011 and 78.5% in 2013, according to (KBS World) website.
The association said German cars are leading the growth with their diesel models. German firms, including BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen and Audi, sold 67,033 cars in South Korea in the first half, up 35% from the same period last year. German cars accounted for 71.1% of the market share for foreign cars.
An association official said registration of foreign cars jumped 26.5% year-on-year in the first half, posting a record performance after foreign carmakers released 70 new models in the Korean market.