[THE INVESTOR] The number of registered imported automobiles broke the 1.5 million mark in June, industry data showed on July 20. The country’s automobile market was opened to foreign brands in 1987.

According to automotive industry organizations, the number of imported vehicles registered in South Korea came to just over 1.52 million units in June, up 1.7 percent from the previous month. 


In comparison, the number of all vehicles registered in Korea came to about 21.37 million units at the end of June.

The number of imported vehicles has been rising at an increasingly rapid rate since 2010. In 2010, the figure broke the 500,000 mark, and then rose to 1 million in 2014.

By segment, passenger vehicles account for the largest part of imported vehicles, with about 97 percent of all registered imported automobiles being passenger cars.

By brand, BMW vehicles are the most numerous, accounting for 18.1 percent of all registered imported cars. Mercedes-Benz took the second place with 16.7 percent, followed by Volkswagen with 11.2 percent.

By Choi He-suk (cheesuk@heraldcorp.com)