Kia Corporation, South Korea’s second-largest automaker owned by Hyundai Motor Group, reported a 23% drop in net profit to KRW 7.55 trillion (US$ 5.3 billion) in 2025, blamed largely on the impact of the US import tariffs introduced last April. Revenue rose 6.2% to a record KRW 114.1 trillion (US$ 80 billion), with global vehicle sales rising by 1.5% to 3.14 million units. Sales of electrified vehicles, including hybrids and battery electric vehicles (BEVs), rose by over 17% to 749,000 units, equivalent to over 24% of total sales. The automaker reported a 28% drop in operating profits to KRW 9.08 trillion (US$ 6.4 billion) in 2025, as the company absorbed most of the increased costs related to the US tariffs. Jung Seong-kook, Kia’s senior vice president, said the introduction of US import tariffs cost the company around KRW 2.9 trillion in lost earnings last year, and expects this to rise to KRW 3.3 trillion in 2026.