Sales of imported diesel vehicles in South Korea hit the lowest level in a year in October as customers seem to be shunning diesel models following the worldwide emissions scandal, industry data showed Friday.

According to the data by the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association, imported diesel car sales here came to 11,057 units in October, the smallest monthly figure since October last year, when they reached 11,001 units.

The October sales marked a 20 percent drop from September.

Market experts attributed the decline to the ongoing emissions scandal involving Volkswagen and Audi, some of whose diesel models were found to have fabricated emissions results in the United States.

Around 70 percent of foreign auto sales in South Korea are diesel engine vehicles.

Volkswagen sales in South Korea dropped by a third in October from a month earlier. Sales of Audi, the luxury brand of the German carmaker, also fell from 3,401 units to 2,482 over the same period.

In the wake of the emissions fiasco, the overall sales of foreign brands here are slumping, with imported car sales falling to an eight-month low in October. (Yonhap)