Korean Automobile Industry

06
The Status of Korean Auto Industry
Auto industry ranked at the first place in employment, production and added-value
among manufacturing industries.
(Persons, ’000 billion won)
Employment Production Shipment Added Value
Auto Industry
Share in
Manufacturing Industry
Source : Korea National Statistical Office (as of 2006)
Export value of automobiles recorded U$49.7 billion in 2007 accounting for 13.4%
of total national exports. It is an export-oriented industry with 70% of the total
production shipped abroad.
(Million U$)
Auto Exports
Share in
Total National Exports
Source : Korea Customs Service
Auto industry leads the structural
advancement of the future industry. As
automobiles are getting more environmentfriendly,
high safety-concerned, intellectualizing,
the share of electronic components in
automobiles are expected to enlarge 20% to
40% by 2015. As the importance of telematics
industry, propelled by IT and communication
technologies, gets more prominent, auto
industry comes to lead cutting-edge
information industry such as wireless
communication, contents generation and
display industry.
Korean Automobile Industry 2008
264,000
9.1%
108
11.8%
107
11.8%
36
11.0%
2004 20052006 2007
32,502
12.8%
37,959
13.3%
43,152
13.3%
49,740
13.4%
Automobile is the biggest job-creating
industry and contributes to vitalizing provincial
economy. Auto-related employees, directly
(250 thousand persons) or indirectly (1,320
thousand persons), number 1,570 thousand
persons. It encourages regional economy to
progress, widely locating in metropolitan area
(Incheon and Gyeonggi province), southeastern
region (Ulsan, Busan, Changwon and
Daegu) and southwestern region (Gunsan,
Jeonju and Gwangju) in Korea. Automobile
can be represented as an integrated
machinery industry, assembled by about
20,000 parts and components.