South Korea’s Automobile Production Bases and Results in H1 2025

South Korea’s automobile production in the first half of 2025 was 2,111,101 units, down 1.6% from the same period last year. In addition to sluggish domestic demand, exports, particularly to North America, decreased. Apart from Kia, which saw a slight increase, all other manufacturers witnessed a drop in sales from the previous year. Hyundai’s sales fell 1.2% year-on-year to 941,890 units, due to slowing demand for BEVs and a worsening export environment. GM Korea’s production fell 6.6% to 250,937 units. As over 80% of its production is destined for the US, it is believed that the company has been affected by the Trump administration’s tariff policies.