
Kia reports record EV sales in Europe in first quarter
Kia sold 27,761 EVs during the January-March period in the European market, a 17 percent increase from the previous record set in the third quarter of 2023, according to the data provided by the company.
The proportion of EVs in the company's overall vehicle sales in Europe also surpassed the 20 percent mark for the first time.
The boost in EV sales was spearheaded by the Kia EV3, a compact electric sport utility vehicle model, which sold 17,878 units in the first quarter, accounting for 64 percent of the company's total EV sales in the cited period.
Sales of EVs are rapidly increasing in Europe, with 573,500 cars sold in the first quarter alone, up 28 percent from the same period last year, according to data from the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association.
The South Korean automaker plans to beef up its EV lineup with the launch of the new EV4, EV5 and PV5 models in Europe this year. (Yonhap)
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Korea Herald
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Korea Herald
2 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Intl. air passengers reach record high in first half
Over 46 million people traveled to or from South Korea via air in the first half of 2025, setting a record high, data showed Sunday. A total of 46,029,842 passengers arrived in or left South Korea via international flights between January and June, up 7.6 percent from the same period last year, according to the data compiled by the land ministry, Incheon International Airport Corp. and Korea Airports Corp. The figure surpassed the previous record of 45.5 million posted in the first half of 2019. The number of international flights during the six-month period also increased 5.6 percent on-year, also outpacing the previous first-half record set in 2019. China posted the largest number of air passengers to and from South Korea, with 7.81 million passengers traveling between the two countries via air in the first six months of the year, up 24.3 percent from a year earlier. Such a sharp increase was partly attributed to the visa-exemption program China implemented for South Korean visitors in November. Japan followed next, with the number of travelers to and from South Korea jumping 9.9 percent on-year. Japan has seen a constant wave of South Korean travelers due to a weak yen and, more recently, due to an expansion of flight routes to small cities in Japan. By airport, some 36 million people traveled via Incheon International Airport, the main gateway to Seoul, while 9.91 million people used six other international airports across the country. "The demand for international flights reached a record high in the first half due to the normalization of overseas travel centered on China and Japan, as well as supply expansions," an industry official said. "The growth in demand will continue in the second half of the year due to the stabilizing exchange rates and global oil prices." (Yonhap)


Korea Herald
4 hours ago
- Korea Herald
Trade minister says S. Korea looks to maximize 'practical interests' in trade talks with US
South Korea's Trade Minister Yeo Han-koo on Saturday stressed Seoul's focus on maximizing "practical interests" in ongoing trade talks with the United States, as he arrived in Washington with just days left before US President Donald Trump's pause on steep tariffs expires. Speaking to the press, Yeo noted that "all possibilities" appear to remain open, saying that the pause on "reciprocal" tariffs could be extended beyond Tuesday, and that the two countries could also reach a broad agreement in principle rather than a full-fledged trade deal. Yeo's arrival came a little over a week after his last trip to the US capital, underscoring the new South Korean government's commitment to striking a trade deal with the Trump administration. He was set to resume talks with US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer on the day. "Even if (the US) unveils a new reciprocal tariff rate for each country, including South Korea, following the expiry of the July 8 pause on the tariffs, we anticipate that there could be a little (additional) period of pause," he told reporters as he walked out of a train station in Washington following his arrival in New York the previous day. "All possibilities remain open," he pointed out, saying that the likelihood of the two sides reaching a deal "in broad terms" cannot be ruled out, though concluding a formal deal on every detail over the next three days appears difficult. "We judge that the current situation is urgent ... In fact, many things are uncertain and fluid at this point," Yeo said. "Through today's negotiations, we want to figure out more details about the US' plan, and will engage in negotiations with a focus on finding ways for us to maximize practical interests." On April 2, Trump announced reciprocal tariffs, including 25 percent duties on South Korea, in a move to match what other countries impose on American goods. The tariffs took effect on April 9, but he paused them for 90 days on the day to allow time for negotiations. Aside from reciprocal tariffs, South Korea is also seeking to minimize the impact of sector-specific tariffs on automobiles, steel and aluminum. "We think that a relatively more difficult area is the sectoral tariff issue given that the US regards it as important from the standpoint of its industrial protection," he said. "But we have repeatedly emphasized that it is crucial (for South Korea) to get exceptions or ensure that the rates are significantly reduced, and we plan to reiterate that again today." Despite uncertainty over the trade negotiations, Yeo painted a positive outlook for the future of bilateral industrial cooperation. "Areas, where chances of mutual cooperation are high, are the artificial intelligence, automobiles, batteries, energy and the bio sector. They are areas where the US needs great cooperation in its efforts to rebuild its manufacturing, and (I) think South Korea has a unique value in those areas," he said. "We seek 'positive-sum' negotiations by putting together issues of industrial and technological cooperation between South Korea and the US for the mid- and long-term period of four to five years alongside tariff talks." Yeo's visit to Washington came as South Korea's National Security Adviser Wi Sung-lac is set to arrive in the US capital on Sunday for a three-day trip in what appears to be a move by President Lee Jae Myung's administration to ensure smooth cooperation between the two allies. On Friday, Trump said he will send letters to 12 countries, which specify their tariff rates, on Monday.