PHOTO: REUTERS[INCHEON] From the muddy grounds of a former amusement park on South Korea’s coast, tens of thousands of vehicles are being packed for shipment overseas as booming used car exports help to mitigate the impact of US tariffs on new car sales. Used car exports jumped 35 per cent to US$711.5 million the same month, according to the Korea Used Car Distribution Research Institute. South Korea’s used car exports are expected to set a new record high in volumes and value this year, experts say, even though the fast-growing market of Syria banned used car imports in July, according to state media. “Private businesses rent these dirt lots here and park their cars there,” said Park Young-hwa, a trader who runs the Korea Used Car Export Association. Used car exports and cosmetics were the fastest-growing export industries by value for small and medium-sized companies in the first half of 2025, according to government data.