The auto imports to South Korea rose sharply in 2008, up 15.5 percent from a year earlier, despite a declining domestic consumption, the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association said on Wednesday.
According to a statement by the association, the sales of imported cars totaled 61,648 units in 2008, compared with 53,390 units in 2007, while local automakers saw a 5.3 percent drop in domestic sales in 2008, Xinhua reported.
Japan's Honda Motor Co. was the most popular foreign car brand in South Korea in 2008, the statement said.
A total of 12,356 vehicles made by Honda were sold in South Korea last year, followed by Germany's BMW AG and Mercedes-Benz, the statement added.
