Honda to halt South Korea car sales, highlighting strain across Asian markets

[TOKYO] Honda Motor said on Thursday (Apr 23) it has decided to discontinue its automobile sales operations in South Korea at the year-end, citing changes in the environment surrounding the global and South Korean automobile markets.

Japan’s second-largest automaker said in a statement it had been offering the Accord and CR-V models in South Korea, where it started automotive sales in 2004. It could not immediately confirm how many cars it sold in South Korea last year.

Honda is struggling with shrinking sales in key Asian markets as it faces growing competition from rivals, including South Korean and Chinese brands.

In China, its retail sales fell to some 646,000 vehicles in 2025, down 60 per cent from five years earlier. Honda will also shut down at least one joint venture car plant in China, sources told Reuters last week.

Honda’s sales also declined year-on-year last year in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. REUTERS