In brief
South Korean importers saw imported passenger‑car registrations climb 29.3 percent in October, driven by strong demand for electric models. Tesla topped foreign‑maker sales with 9,165 units, and battery‑electric vehicles comprised 46.4 percent of the market share.
South Korea’s imported car sales surged 29.3 percent in October, reaching 31,117 new registrations, Xinhua reported on Wednesday, citing data from the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association.
The jump follows a 24.6 percent rise over the first ten months of 2026, bringing total imports to 310,846.
Tesla leads the foreign‑maker list with 9,165 units, followed by Mercedes‑Benz with 6,744, BMW with 5,633, Volvo with 1,682, and Chinese maker BYD with 1,594.
European models made up 56.5 percent of the market, totaling 17,573 units, while U.S., Japanese and Chinese brands captured 30.0, 8.0 and 5.5 percent respectively.
Battery‑electric vehicles comprised 46.4 percent of sales, nearly equal to hybrids at 45.9 percent, compared to gasoline at 6.8 percent and diesel at 0.9 percent.
