, Columnist
Don't Blame China For This Korean Car Crash
No excuse for taking your eye off the customer.
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Executives at South Korea's carmakers on Tuesday blamed strained Chinese relations for a massive sales shortfall in the world's largest auto market. Foreign affairs only partly explains the story.
Just as Bejing's boycott over Seoul's plan to host a U.S. missile defense system hurt Korean makeup and toy brands, it also hit the auto industry: in the first half of the year, China sales at Kia Motors Corp. and Hyundai Motor Co. fell 47 percent from the year before.