Its sales reached 2,661.9 billion won, compared with 2,502.6 billion won for GM Korea, the local unit of U.S. automaker General Motors, according to the data submitted to the country's financial regulator, Financial Supervisory Service.
Two other German-car dealers, BMW Korea and Mercedes-Benz Korea, ranked fifth and sixth, respectively with sales amounting to 2,299.9 billion won and 2,204.5 billion won.
Renault Samsung, the local arm of French carmaker Renault SA, placed seventh with 2,125.0 billion won, and Ssangyong Motor, the local unit of Indian sport utility vehicle (SUV) manufacturer, eighth with 1,962.6 billion won.
Hyundai Motor, South Korea's largest automaker, topped the list with 18,029.3 billion won, a figure which nearly doubles 9,311.2 billion for its sister company Kia Motors.
Sales of foreign-car dealers are growing at a faster pace than sales of Korean automakers. According to data compiled by the Ministry of Industry, Trade and Energy, imported car sales in the country soared 24.9 percent in February from the same month of last year, though sales of Korean cars on their home turf decreased 4.1 percent on-year in February.
As a result, foreign cars' market share rose to 14.3 percent in February from 11.4 percent a year earlier.
German vehicles accounted for a dominant 69.7 percent of the total imported cars sold in February.
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
