Korea’s automotive exports reached a record high in the first half of the year as local automakers increased their shares in overseas markets on the back of improved quality, a trade association said Wednesday.

According to the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association, local automakers exported a total of 1.55 million units in the first six months of the year, up 15.1 percent from a year earlier.

In June alone, auto exports gained 14.2 percent on-year to 304,452 units, according to the KAMA.

Hyundai Motor Group, South Korea’s leading automaking group, is targeting sales of some 1.06 million units in the U.S. this year. Its U.S. sales reached 894,496 cars last year.

Hyundai Motor Co., the country’s leading automaker, is targeting sales of 624,000 vehicles in the U.S. for the year and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp. 433,000 units. 

(Yonhap News)