The South Korean imported diesel car market continues to shrink, with sales for the year expected to hit a historic low.

According to data released by the Korean Import Automobile Association on June 24th, in May of this year, only 349 diesel imported passenger cars were sold in the domestic market in Korea, a sharp decrease of 60.2% compared to the same period last year. The cumulative sales from January to May this year were 1469 vehicles, a decrease of 50.4% year-on-year, with a market share of only 1.3%. With a significant drop in sales, the proportion of diesel models in the overall imported passenger car market has also declined significantly. Data shows that in the first five months of this year, diesel vehicle sales accounted for only 1.3% among all fuel types, and with the continuous increase in sales of new energy vehicle models, this proportion may drop below 1% by the end of the year. In comparison, the market share of diesel vehicle models last year was 2.9%, the lowest level since 2004.