Jung Jae-hee, chief executive of Ford Sales and Service Korea, will be seeking to serve his second term as chairman of the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association, a business lobby group representing 23 foreign car brands here.

In their general assembly meeting on March 28, KAIDA members agreed to reelect the incumbent chairman Jung, who has led the group since 2012, for another two-year term. 

Jung joined Ford’s Detroit head office in 1992 as a manager overseeing preparations for the carmaker’s entry into Korea. He then served in Korea and other markets in the Asia-Pacific region.

He took office as chief of Ford’s Korean operations in 2001.

“I feel a solemn responsibility to take this job again at this crucial time when the nation’s import car market is seeking another big leap,” he said. “I’ll do my best not just for the import car market but also for the whole automotive industry in Korea.”

In March, monthly sales of foreign car brands hit a new record high of 15,733 vehicles, a 30.4 percent jump on-year. During the same period, sales of Ford Korea also soared 67.1 percent to 792 vehicles.

For the first quarter, 44,434 imported vehicles were sold, up a healthy 27.1 percent from 34,964 units sold in the first three months of 2013.

By Lee Ji-yoon (jylee@heraldcorp.com)