Introduction

Abstract

South Korean¹ vehicle manufacturers (VMs) in the European markets in the 1990s witnessed remarkable growth in exports and the establishment of local sales and production networks. More than 47 per cent of the Korean motor vehicles produced in Korea in 1998 headed for Europe.² European car markets account for the largest portion of Korean motor vehicles sold overseas by the end of the 1990s. Together with the increasing importance of European markets, local production also became an important issue for the Korean automobile industry in Europe.³