South Korea's car exports soared nearly 50 percent on-year in the first half of the year to reach an all-time high, driven by solid demand for eco-friendly cars, the industry ministry said Monday.
The value of outbound shipments of automobiles came to US$35.7 billion during the first six months of the year, up 46.6 percent from a year earlier, according to data from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.
It's the highest figure for any January-June period, with the previous record being set in 2014 at $25.2 billion.
Vibrant global demand for eco-friendly vehicles led the overall growth of car exports.
The export value of eco-friendly cars spiked 70.4 percent on-year to $12.4 billion in the first half.
Domestic production rose 23.5 percent on-year to 2.19 million units on the back of the smooth supply of automotive semiconductors, contributing to the solid exports, the ministry said.
Source: Yonhap News Agency