AutoBeta(AutoBeta.net)11/05 Report--

Affected by the "boycott of Japanese goods", Japanese car sales in South Korea fell 58.4% in October from a year earlier to 1977 units, Yonhap news agency reported on Oct. 5.

In fact, anti-Japanese sentiment in South Korea is very strong, resulting in a sharp decline in Japanese sales in South Korea, especially in Japanese imported cars.

Under the boycott of Japanese goods in South Korea, sales of Japanese cars in South Korea fell 17.2% in July from a year earlier, plunged 56.9% in August, and further expanded to 59.8% in September, showing a monthly high-speed decline, according to the Korea imported cars Association. This year, the cumulative sales of Japanese cars in South Korea was 30634, down 13.1% from the same period last year.

Demand for foreign cars in South Korea is strong, and annual sales of Japanese cars in South Korea have been growing since 2014. It is worth noting that in the first half of 2019, before South Korea launched the "boycott of Japanese goods", Japanese car sales increased by 10.8% compared with the same period last year, setting a new record. However, there was a sudden reversal in the second half of the year, further reflecting the strong anti-Japanese sentiment of the people.

By brand, Lexus sold 456 vehicles in South Korea in October, down 77% from a year earlier, Toyota down 69.6%, Nissan down 65.7% and Infiniti up 12%. A Toyota spokesman said bluntly that the malaise at the sales level was directly affected by the negative impact of Japan-South Korea relations.

Nissan was earlier revealed to be pulling out of the South Korean market as sales fell to double digits, but the company said South Korea was a strategically important market that would overcome difficulties by improving its business in South Korea.

At the same time, it is reported that sales of German cars have increased as Japanese cars continue to shrink. Of these, Mercedes-Benz sold 8025 vehicles in South Korea in October, the highest monthly sales in the South Korean market, accounting for more than 36% of the imported car market, up 26% from a year earlier.

According to another report, in July, when the South Korean people boycotted Japanese goods, participants demonstrated smashing Japanese cars. The picture shows participants smashing a Lexus on July 23 in Nan Yue Dong District, Incheon City.

The situation of Japanese cars in South Korea will be even worse as the trade dispute between South Korea and Japan continues to ferment, and South Koreans have a strong boycott of Japanese goods.

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