Imported car sales in South Korea increased 4.5%

Sales of imported vehicles in South Korea inched up 4.5 percent in September from a year earlier, a trade association said Monday. A total of 12,668 units of foreign-brand cars were sold in September, compared with 12,123 vehicles sold a year ago, according to data compiled by the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association. In the first nine months of 2013, a total of 116,085 foreign vehicles were sold in the country, up 21.3 percent from the 95,706 units sold in the cited period a year earlier, the association said. Still, the monthly figure represents a 9.4 percent drop from August when foreign carmakers sold a total of 13,977 units, according to the data. Volkswagen topped the list with 2,457 units sold last month, leading Germany’s dominance in the South Korean import auto market. Mercedes-Benz was next on the list with 2,430 units, trailed by BMW with 1,916 and Audi with 1,679, according to the association. Meanwhile, domestic sales by five automakers in South Korea, including Hyundai Motor Co., reached 101,021 units last month, down 12.8 percent from 115,811 units a year ago.