S. Korea's auto export keeps double-digit growth for 14th month

South Korea's automotive export kept a double-digit growth for the 14th straight month due to robust demand for eco-friendly vehicles, government data showed Tuesday.

Car shipment jumped 28.7 percent from a year earlier to 5.3 billion U.S. dollars in August, continuing to increase in double figures since July last year, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

The number of exported vehicles was 199,214 in August, up 19.6 percent from a year earlier.

Export for eco-friendly cars soared 47.8 percent to 1.8 billion dollars, keeping an upward trend for the ninth straight month since December last year. The number of exported such vehicles advanced 29.4 percent to 53,383.

The number of vehicles manufactured in local factories gained 9.6 percent over the year to 311,959 in August.

The number of cars sold in South Korea, including locally-made and imported vehicles, stood at 130,667 in August, down 0.7 percent from a year earlier.