Honda leads growing foreign car sales in SKorea
Sales of foreign cars in South Korea rose sharply this year, helped by the growing popularity of Honda's Accord.
By Agencies |
SEOUL: Sales of foreign cars in South Korea rose sharply this year, helped by the growing popularity of Honda's Accord, importers said Thursday.
Sales in the first half jumped 31.2 per cent from a year earlier to 33,449 or 6.09 per cent of total sales, according to the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association.
Japanese brands accounted for 34.5 per cent of total foreign sales compared to 33.1 per cent a year earlier. Honda's Accord was the best selling foreign make this year, taking over the slot from Toyota's Lexus, it said.
"Japanese models are gaining popularity in the domestic market," spokeswoman Park Eun-Seok told AFP.
An association of civic groups in the southern city of Busan announced a consumer campaign Thursday to boycott Japanese cars in protest at Tokyo's claim to a group of disputed islets controlled by Seoul.
But importers say the row is not expected to hit sales of Japanese cars. In 2007 foreign car sales hit a record high of 53,390 or 5.13 per cent of total sales, due to falling prices and growing demand.
The association predicts foreign car sales will reach 62,000 this year in a country where it was once considered unpatriotic to buy foreign makes.
The domestic market is still dominated by leading national automaker Hyundai Motor. But Hyundai officials have expressed concern about the rapid increase in foreign car sales.
Sales in the first half jumped 31.2 per cent from a year earlier to 33,449 or 6.09 per cent of total sales, according to the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association.
Japanese brands accounted for 34.5 per cent of total foreign sales compared to 33.1 per cent a year earlier. Honda's Accord was the best selling foreign make this year, taking over the slot from Toyota's Lexus, it said.
"Japanese models are gaining popularity in the domestic market," spokeswoman Park Eun-Seok told AFP.
An association of civic groups in the southern city of Busan announced a consumer campaign Thursday to boycott Japanese cars in protest at Tokyo's claim to a group of disputed islets controlled by Seoul.
But importers say the row is not expected to hit sales of Japanese cars. In 2007 foreign car sales hit a record high of 53,390 or 5.13 per cent of total sales, due to falling prices and growing demand.
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The association predicts foreign car sales will reach 62,000 this year in a country where it was once considered unpatriotic to buy foreign makes.
The domestic market is still dominated by leading national automaker Hyundai Motor. But Hyundai officials have expressed concern about the rapid increase in foreign car sales.
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