Seoul: Kia Corp., South Korea's second-largest carmaker, announced a 2.8 percent decrease in February sales compared to the previous year. The decline is attributed to fewer working days arising from the Lunar New Year holiday.

According to Yonhap News Agency, Kia, a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co., reported sales of 247,401 vehicles in February, a drop from the previous year's 254,415 units. The domestic market experienced a more significant decline, with sales falling 8.7 percent to 42,002 units from 46,003. Overseas sales saw a smaller decrease of 1.5 percent, with 205,005 units sold compared to 208,027 the previous year.

The report noted that the monthly sales total included 394 special-purpose vehicles, marking a slight increase of 2.3 percent from last year's 385 units. In response to the decline, Kia plans to focus on promoting new models, such as the upgraded Seltos SUV, the EV5 compact electric SUV, and the all-electric PV5 van, alongside other environmentally friendly vehicles.

The data further revealed that from January to February, Kia's overall sales slipped by 0.2 percent to 493,092 units compared to 494,293 units in the same period last year. During this period, domestic sales saw a slight increase of 0.8 percent to 85,109 units, while overseas sales edged down by 0.5 percent to 407,328 units.