Imported car sales in South Korea jumped 21.1 percent on-year in July on strong demand for foreign car brands by consumers, a local trade association said Wednesday.

The monthly sales figure of 18,112 vehicles represents a significant gain from 14,953 units sold a year earlier, the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association said. It is also a new monthly high, surpassing the previous record of 17,083 tallied in July.

The total is equal to 12.4 percent of the 145,431 new cars sold in the country last month. This figure includes cars sold by the five local carmakers, including Hyundai Motor Co. and Renault Samsung Motors Co., and all import brands.

“The sharp rise comes as companies successfully secured more vehicles for sale and engaged in aggressive marketing ahead of the summer vacation period that usually fuels demand for new cars,” said Yoon Dae-sung, the association’s executive manager. (Yonhap)