SEOUL, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's automotive export hit a record high last year thanks to strong demand for eco-friendly vehicles, government data showed Thursday.
Car shipment gained 1.7 percent from a year earlier to reach a new high of 71.99 billion U.S. dollars in 2025, topping 70 billion dollars for the third consecutive year, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Resources.
The record export stemmed from solid demand for eco-friendly sedans, of which the shipment soared 11.0 percent to 25.77 billion dollars last year.
Auto export to the United States dropped 13.2 percent to 30.15 billion dollars, affected by the U.S. tariff imposition.
Those to the European Union and Asia increased in double digits to 8.06 billion dollars and 5.88 billion dollars each last year.
The number of exported vehicles was 2,736,308 in 2025, down 1.7 percent from a year earlier. Auto parts shipment declined 5.9 percent to 21.20 billion dollars.
The number of vehicles manufactured in local factories fell 0.6 percent to 4,101,992 last year, but it surpassed four million for the third straight year.
The number of cars sold inside the country, including locally-made and imported vehicles, totaled 1,680,110 in 2025, up 3.3 percent compared to the previous year. ■
