Imported car sales in South Korea move up 19.6% in 2013

Imported car sales in South Korea rose 19.6 percent on-year to a record high last year as foreign brands continue to make inroads into the country's automobile market, a trade association said Tuesday. A total of 156,497 foreign-made cars were sold in 2013, compared with 130,858 units in the previous year, topping the 150,000 mark for the first time, according to the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association (KAIDA). This represents a greater gain than the 8 percent increase predicted in late 2012 when it estimated 143,000 foreign cars may be sold for the whole of 2013.