The Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association (KAIDA) marked its 30th anniversary by announcing the results of an analysis of the various growth and changes in the imported automobile market over the past 30 years.
The annual new registration of imported passenger cars has increased from 6,921 in 1995 to 263,288 last year, over 38 times, and this year, 138,120 units have been recorded in the first half of the year, showing a growth of 9.9% compared to the same period last year.
During the same period, KAIDA member companies increased significantly from 8 in 1995 to 23 as of the end of June 2025. The number of imported car brands sold domestically increased from 15 to 30, and the number of selling models rose from about 100 to over 500, expanding the consumer choice within the domestic market. Thanks to this growth and diversity, the market share of imported cars in the domestic passenger car market increased from 0.6% in 1995 to 18.3% last year.
Over the past 30 years, there have been several crises. The Asian financial crisis and the global financial crisis led to various internal and external challenges that temporarily dampened the market, but the imported car industry has overcome these challenges and continued to grow.
During this time, KAIDA made efforts to revitalize the market by representing the industry through active exchanges with the government and related organizations, as well as hosting imported car motor shows, test drive events, and the publication of imported car guides. Recently, they have also focused on running various automotive-related forums, consumer perception surveys, and industry-academia cooperation programs.
In addition, KAIDA has hosted recruitment fairs for imported cars since launching its automotive industry talent development program in 2009, and has also established and awarded academic awards in collaboration with the Korean Society of Automotive Engineers (KSAE) and the Korean Society of Automotive Safety (KASA). They have been engaging in long-term social contribution activities to enhance their responsibilities and roles as part of the domestic automotive industry.
In connection with this, KAIDA adopted the slogan 'Opening the future with innovation and diversity' along with the creation of an emblem to mark its 30th anniversary. They are conducting various activities such as consumer perception surveys, photo contests, special sessions at academic conferences, and planned statistical announcements to reflect on changes and growth while striving to pioneer a new future.
In this regard, KAIDA Vice President Jeong Yoon-young said, 'Imported cars have led new trends across the entire automotive industry and culture, providing consumers with diverse and differentiated choices,' and added, 'As they have solidly positioned themselves as an important pillar of the domestic automobile market over the past 30 years, we will strive to contribute to greater growth and development in the domestic automobile market.'
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