hankyoreh

South Korean auto sales rose 8.1 percent from a year ago in the first six months of this year as overseas demand boosted exports, according to figures released by the nation's five carmakers Monday.

Overall six-month sales among the five automakers, led by Hyundai Motor Co. and GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co., stood at 2,605,101 units, compared with 2,409,385 units sold for the same period a year ago.

GM Daewoo, a unit of U.S. auto giant General Motors Corp., drove the growth with its first-half sales jumping 32.8 percent to a record 483,655 units.

Hyundai Motor, the nation's top automaker, sold 1,296,694 units for the six months, up 3.7 percent from a year earlier, despite partial strikes against South Korea's free trade agreement with the United States and higher pay.

Its affiliate Kia Motors Corp. sold 677,231 units for the first half, up 2.8 percent from a year ago.

Sales of Renault Samsung Motors Co., controlled by French automaker Renault, climbed 9.2 percent to 82,463 units.

Ssangyong Motor Co., owned by China's Shanghai Automotive Industry Corp., sold 69,756 units for the first half, up 13.2 percent from a year ago.

SEOUL, July 2 (Yonhap News)