This photo shows Tesla’s Model Y displayed at a shopping mall in Seoul. (Yonhap)
SEOUL, Feb. 4 (Korea Bizwire) — Sales of imported vehicles in South Korea surged in January, driven by a sharp rebound in electric vehicle demand led by Tesla and the Chinese automaker BYD, industry data showed on Wednesday.
New registrations of imported cars rose 37.6 percent from a year earlier to 20,960 units, according to the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association. The increase marks a strong start to the year for foreign brands after a more subdued performance in early 2025.
Tesla was a standout. The U.S. electric carmaker sold 1,966 vehicles last month, compared with just five units a year earlier. BYD, which formally began local operations in early 2025, sold 1,347 vehicles in January as it expands its presence in Asia’s fourth-largest economy.
BYD’s compact electric SUV, the Atto 3 (Image courtesy of Cheil Worldwide)
An official at the association said January is typically a slow month for electric vehicle purchases, as consumers wait for the government to finalize annual subsidy levels. “This year, buyers moved quickly on Tesla models despite the uncertainty over subsidies, attracted by competitive pricing,” the official said.
The three top-selling imported models in January were the Mercedes-Benz E 200 sedan, the BMW 520 sedan and the Tesla Model Y.
By fuel type, hybrids dominated, accounting for 66.6 percent of total sales, or 13,949 vehicles. Fully electric models made up 21.1 percent, followed by gasoline-powered cars at 11.6 percent and diesel vehicles at less than 1 percent.
German brands continued to command the market. Volkswagen Group Korea, BMW Group Korea and Mercedes-Benz Korea together sold 13,157 vehicles in January, up 21.3 percent from a year earlier. German automakers accounted for roughly seven out of every 10 imported cars sold in South Korea during the month.
Kevin Lee (kevinlee@koreabizwire.com)
