SEOUL, Jan. 15 (Korea Bizwire) — BMW Group Korea marked its 30th anniversary in 2025, commemorating three decades of success and growth in the South Korean market. Established in July 1995 as the first wholly-owned local subsidiary of a foreign automaker in Korea, BMW Korea has significantly expanded its presence through strategic investments and market leadership.
Starting with BMW automobiles, the company introduced BMW Motorrad in 1999 and the premium MINI brand in 2005. BMW Korea surpassed cumulative sales milestones of 10,000 units in 2002 and 100,000 units in 2011.
The company dominated South Korea’s imported car market, securing the top sales position for seven consecutive years from 2009 to 2015, and again in 2022 and 2023.
BMW Korea has consistently invested in infrastructure, supplier partnerships, and corporate social responsibility initiatives in line with BMW Group’s global philosophy of being a responsible corporate citizen in each market.
A prime example is the BMW Driving Center, a state-of-the-art automotive complex in Incheon’s Yeongjong Island, launched in 2014 with a ₩95 billion investment. In 2017, BMW Korea invested ₩1.3 trillion to relocate and expand its parts logistics center to Anseong, Gyeonggi Province—the largest of its kind among BMW’s global subsidiaries and imported car brands.
Looking ahead, BMW Korea plans to invest an additional ₩65 billion by 2027 to expand the logistics center by approximately 31,000 square meters. Moreover, BMW Korea’s R&D Center was relocated to Incheon’s Cheongna International City in April 2024 to bolster its innovation capabilities.
BMW Korea’s social responsibility efforts are spearheaded by the BMW Korea Future Foundation, established in 2011 as the first non-profit foundation in Korea’s imported car industry. By the end of 2024, the foundation’s talent development programs had benefited a total of 329,500 participants.
In response to the global shift toward electrification, BMW Korea has been aggressively expanding South Korea’s electric vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure. The company launched the ‘BMW Charging Station’ network in 2022 and the ‘Charging Next’ initiative in 2023. To date, BMW Korea has installed 2,125 EV chargers nationwide.
In a demonstration of its commitment to local partnerships, BMW Korea purchased automotive parts worth ₩65.35 trillion from Korean suppliers in 2024, surpassing its annual sales revenue. Since 2010, cumulative purchases from Korean suppliers have totaled ₩37 trillion.
To celebrate its 30th anniversary, BMW Korea unveiled the slogan “Joy of Driving, Innovation for Tomorrow” and announced plans for limited-edition vehicle releases and additional investments aimed at strengthening its contribution to Korean society.
Han Sang-yun, CEO of BMW Korea, stated, “We will continue to pursue diverse investment activities to grow alongside Korean society and reinforce a virtuous economic cycle where foreign companies can meaningfully contribute to Korea’s economy.”
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)