South Korea's auto exports hit a record US$6.71 billion in June, up 5.8 percent from a year earlier and the highest level ever for the month.
Eco-friendly vehicles led the growth, with exports surging 35.4 percent to 102,554 units, surpassing 100,000 units in monthly shipments for the first time. Their export value also rose 31.3 percent to $2.9 billion, accounting for 38.2 percent of total vehicle exports.
The ministry attributed the growth to stronger demand for hybrid vehicles in the U.S. and rising EV sales in Europe. Shipments to North America rose 12.3 percent to $3.61 billion, and those to the European Union increased 13.7 percent to $870 million, while exports to Asia and the Middle East fell 13.7 percent and 11.4 percent, respectively.
Domestic sales of eco-friendly vehicles rose 29.6 percent to 94,222 units, accounting for 59 percent of all vehicles sold in South Korea. Electric vehicle sales also surged 92.1 percent to 39,031 units.
Cumulative production for the first half of this year stood at 2.12 million vehicles, about the same as a year earlier, but domestic sales rose 2.5 percent to 847,630 units, and export volume also increased 2.1 percent to 1.44 million vehicles.
By model, Kia's Sorento SUV led sales with 55,426 units during the period, followed by Tesla's Model Y and Hyundai's Grandeur. In June alone, Hyundai's Grandeur sedan ranked first with 10,062 units sold.
Among overseas shipments, GM Korea's Trax SUV was the top model in both June and the first six months of this year.
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