Imported Car Lovers
Koreans in their 30s are increasing their presence in the imported car market. Automakers such as Volkswagen, Toyota and Peugeot are trying to better win them over as well, with strategic models like the Jetta, Camry, and 2008.
According to the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association (KAIDA), those in their 30s accounted for 38.3 percent of all individuals who bought imported cars between January and October this year, increasing their ratio by approximately 10 percentage points in just five years. They were followed by those in their 40s (28.4 percent) and 50s (17.0 percent).
Industry experts mention the higher competitiveness of foreign cars and change in social atmosphere as two of the reasons.
These days, foreign carmakers do not stick only to large luxury vehicles any more. Instead, they have diversified their lineups to supply compact cars and sports utility vehicles priced at around 30 million won (US$27,251).
In addition, more and more companies and institutions are adopting a flexible organizational culture so that the employees do not have to drive cars worse than their bosses’.