S. Korean auto sales fall 1.7 pct in September

SEOUL, Oct. 1 (Yonhap) -- South Korean auto sales declined in September as deepening U.S. financial woes have sapped overseas demand amid stubbornly weak domestic consumption, the automakers said Wednesday.

Sales fell 1.7 percent last month from the same period a year earlier to 382,577
units, according to figures released by the nation's five carmakers.
Also reducing the sales figures were partial strikes by unionized workers of
Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp. last month over wage
negotiations.
Hyundai, the nation's top auto maker, said its September sales were little
changed at 190,227 units, compared with 189,031 a year ago.
For the month, Hyundai's exports rose 13.1 percent to 158,778 units, but domestic
sales plunged 35.3 percent to 31,449 vehicles.
In a statement, Hyundai attributed the sharp decline in domestic sales to
sporadic partial strikes over wage negotiations and weak demand on higher oil
prices.
Kia said sales slipped 12.2 percent to 96,734 vehicles last month.
Kia's domestic sales rose 19.5 percent to 24,322 units, while exports fell 19.4
percent to 72,412 units, the company said.
Third-ranked GM Daewoo Auto & Technology Co., the local unit of U.S. auto giant
General Motors Corp., sold 71,380 vehicles in September, up 4.8 percent.
Renault Samsung Motors Corp., the subsidiary of French auto giant Renault SA,
benefitted from partial strikes by Hyundai and Kia, with its September sales
rising 27.8 percent to 16,606 units.
Renault Samsung, which has no union, sells most of its cars in South Korea.
Ssangyong Motor Co., the local unit of China's Shanghai Automotive Industry
Corp., saw its sales fall 6.5 percent to 8,950 vehicles.