On July 7, 2026, Korean media Maeil Business Newspaper reported, under the title 'Koreans now buy Chinese cars even if they are expensive,' that 'Zeekr,' a luxury EV brand under China's Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, had a strong start in the Korean market.

Zeekr recently announced that when it conducted pre-orders for the launch of its electric SUV '7X' in South Korea, it exceeded 1,000 units in one month.

The 7X sold in South Korea comes in three grades: Pro (RWD), Max (RWD), and Ultra (AWD), with prices of 52.99 million won (approximately 5.67 million yen), 59.99 million won (approximately 6.42 million yen), and 69.99 million won (approximately 7.49 million yen), respectively. Even the lowest-priced model is set at a price higher than the Tesla Model Y (49.99 million won = approximately 5.35 million yen). The top-tier model is positioned in a similar price range as the Mercedes-Benz GLC and the Korean luxury car brand 'Genesis GV80'.

Until now, Chinese cars have often been viewed with the image of 'cars with high cost-performance' or 'cars driven because they are cheap'. BYD (Build Your Dreams) also offers models in the 20 million to 30 million won (approximately 2.14 million to 3.21 million yen) range in the Korean market. However, Zeekr is positioned as a luxury technology brand within China.

In the Korean automotive industry, it is analyzed that a major factor behind Zeekr's rapid increase in pre-orders in a short period is the change in the perception that 'Chinese cars = just cheap cars'.

It is also pointed out that as the Chinese-made Tesla 'Model Y' increased its sales in the Korean market, consumer resistance to Chinese products has diminished. Due to this 'Tesla effect,' BYD is also said to have succeeded in establishing an image not as an 'inexpensive car' but as a 'car with high performance for its price'. In response to this trend, the presence of Chinese EV manufacturers is rapidly increasing in the Korean market.

Automotive industry insiders, regarding the popularity of the '7X,' analyze that it is due to a change in consumer perception towards Chinese cars, combined with demand from early adopters who want to be among the first to try high-performance models.

Regarding this article, Korean netizens commented 'Who on earth made a reservation?', '1,000 units? All bought by Chinese people living in Korea, right?', 'Chinese-made smartphones aren't even selling, so why buy a car?', and 'Are you offering your life to China?', among other comments questioning the safety and quality of Chinese cars.

Furthermore, comments criticizing the content of the article itself were also seen, such as 'How much did you get paid to write such a puff piece?', 'Seems like you received a generous reward from China,' and 'This article smells of China money.' (Translation/Editing: Mae Kang)