Zeekr signs dealer deals to enter South Korea

• Zeekr will establish its first showroom in Seoul as early as the first quarter of next year and begin sales, with the Zeekr 7X SUV likely to be its first model there.
• Zeekr established its South Korean subsidiary in February to prepare for market entry.

Zeekr (NYSE: ZK) has signed dealer agreements to enter the South Korean automotive market, becoming another Chinese electric vehicle (EV) maker expanding into the Asian market after BYD (HKG: 1211, OTCMKTS: BYDDY).

The EV maker signed agreements today at its Hangzhou headquarters with four South Korean dealerships, including KCC Mobility, which possess decades of experience distributing global premium brands like Audi, Mercedes-Benz, and Volvo, according to a report by South Korea's Aju Daily.

The company will build showrooms in Seoul and other metropolitan areas as early as the first quarter next year, launching sales through its dealership network.

The report noted that Zeekr established its South Korean subsidiary in February this year and appointed a former Audi Korea executive as its representative to prepare for market entry.

Zeekr's first model to be launched in South Korea is likely to be the Zeekr 7X midsize pure-electric SUV, which competes against the Hyundai IONIQ 5 and Kia EV6, the report said.

It features spacious interior, premium finishes, and a high-performance battery system, targeting family SUV demand favored by South Korean consumers, the report noted.

The Zeekr 7X was initially launched in China in September 2024 as Zeekr's second mainstream EV model following the Zeekr 007 sedan.

On October 28, Zeekr launched an updated version of the Zeekr 7X in China, upgraded to a higher 900-volt high-voltage architecture for faster charging speeds.

The Zeekr 7X is one of Zeekr's best-selling models, delivering 59,914 units from January to October and contributing 36.31 percent of the brand's total deliveries during that period, according to data compiled by CnEVPost.