Tesla captures 30% of South Korea’s imported car market with unprecedented sales growth

For the second time in 2025, Tesla has topped the list of imported cars in South Korea, following its May record of over 6,500 sales. According to data from the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association (KAIDA), imported car sales in South Korea increased by 22.6% in August 2025 compared to the same month in the previous year, reaching 27,304 units. Notably, Tesla accounted for about one-third of this figure.

The feat shows a growing adoption rate of Tesla brands in a market typically dominated by German vehicles. The top three vehicles on the list are Tesla Model Y, Model 3, and Model Y Long Range.

Tesla has been on a roll for several months in South Korea. July ended on a high note with 7,357 deliveries made after recovering from a slight decline in June. The pace continued in August, with the EV giant reaching a record of approximately 8,000 deliveries in South Korea. This milestone confers South Korea the title of being Tesla's third-largest market, bested only by the United States and China.

The Model Y was the best-performing EV, responsible for 6,683 sales, or about 80 percent of the total figure. Model 3 was the second-best performing with 1,290 deliveries. Optimistically, with this trend, Tesla could end the year surpassing all previous records YOY.

Tesla has demonstrated its confidence in the Asian market by launching the Cybertruck there for the first time outside North America.