One in Three Imported Cars is a Tesla: The 'EV Craze' Rocking the 2026 Auto Market

Domestic sales up 5.3% and eco-friendly vehicles account for 59% in Q1; Tesla takes the monthly top spot for four consecutive months, capturing 30% of import market share Entering 2026 (January through May), South Korea's automobile market is exhibiting a pattern of "rapid internal realignment amid modest external growth." Because June final figures and first-half combined statistics have not yet been published, this article synthesizes official statistics from the first quarter with preliminary and aggregated data from April and May. While total sales increased slightly on a quarterly basis, a significant portion of that growth was concentrated in electric vehicles and imported brands—notably Tesla. Synthesizing official 2026 statistics from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE), the Korea Automobile Mobility Association (KAMA), and the Korea Automobile Importers & Distribu…