SEOUL, Nov. 3 (Yonhap) — The amount of imported automobiles bought in South Korea dropped 15.9 percent in October from the same period last year due to the lack of demand for foreign electric vehicle (EV) models, according to industry data released on Friday.
The total number of imported cars registered last month totaled 21,329 units, compared to 25,363 units in the same month of the previous year, as reported by the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association (KAIDA).
KAIDA attributed the general decrease to the poor performance of EV sales, which fell 51.4 percent year-on-year to 2,357 units, due to their high price compared to other models and the scarcity of charging stations.
A total of 9,790 gasoline-powered imported cars were sold in October, while sales of hybrid and diesel vehicles reached 7,099 and 1,556 units, respectively.
Mercedes-Benz was the most popular foreign car brand last month, with 6,612 units sold, followed by BMW, Volvo and Audi with 5,985, 1,263 and 1,151 units, respectively.
This file photo shows BMW's new 5 series sedan displayed during the new model's launching event held at the BMW Driving Center on Yeongjong Island, Incheon, west of Seoul, on Sept. 5, 2023. (Yonhap)
odissy@yna.co.kr
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