On August 18, 2026, South Korea's E-Daily reported that the domestic electric vehicle (EV) market in South Korea is rapidly expanding, and the share of Chinese brands is also growing.

According to the article, in the first half of 2026, 198,969 new EVs were registered in South Korea, a 112.6% increase from 93,568 units in the same period of the previous year. While the overall market grew significantly, the share of South Korean brands decreased by 6.1 percentage points, from 63.7% to 57.6%. Meanwhile, the share of Chinese brands doubled from 3.0% to 6.1%.

The article noted that "BYD is virtually leading the domestic electric vehicle market for Chinese brands in South Korea." Of the 12,178 Chinese brand EVs registered in the first half of the year, BYD accounted for 11,760 units, reaching 96.6% of the total. Looking at June alone, BYD's new registrations soared by 351.8% from 1,035 units in the previous month to 4,676 units, marking an all-time high. By model, "Dolphin" was the most popular with 4,092 units, followed by "Sealion 7," "ATTO 3," and "SEAL." This also draws attention to the fact that Chinese brands are starting to introduce multiple car models into the South Korean market, instead of relying on a single model.

The article stated that the rapid growth of Chinese EVs has "triggered a warning light in the South Korean market," analyzing that Chinese manufacturers are accelerating their expansion into overseas markets, backed by large-scale production capacity and price competitiveness. As a result, it reported that opinions are emerging within South Korea that "tariffs on Chinese cars should be raised" to protect the domestic automobile industry.

On the other hand, it explained that experts are also expressing the view that "simply excluding Chinese cars will not solve the problem." While raising tariffs on Chinese-made EVs could potentially protect South Korean manufacturers, it could also reduce consumer choice and lead to higher vehicle prices. It also pointed out that the competitiveness of South Korean manufacturers overseas would not improve, and conveyed that voices are growing stronger in the South Korean automotive industry for the need to enhance the overall competitiveness of EV-related industries, including batteries, materials, power semiconductors, and software, not just tariffs.

Regarding this, South Korean netizens expressed comments such as: "The growth rate of Chinese cars certainly cannot be ignored," "I'm surprised that Chinese cars are increasing so rapidly," "If this continues, won't the South Korean car market shrink?", and "First, we should protect South Korea's industry."

Meanwhile, other comments included: "Having more choices isn't a bad thing for consumers," "Instead of just protecting through tariffs, South Korean companies themselves have no choice but to enhance their competitiveness," "South Korean manufacturers should also compete on price and quality," "This might be a good stimulus for the South Korean automotive industry," "If price competition advances, consumers will benefit," and "Rather than fearing Chinese cars, it's more important for South Korean manufacturers to devise strategies for improving their technological capabilities." (Translation/Editing by Higuchi)