Global sales of South Korea's No. 2 automaker Kia Motors Corp. grew 2.1 percent from a year earlier in February, largely helped by a rise in overseas sales, the company said Thursday.

Global sales came to 227,823 cars last month, compared to 223,175 cars sold globally in February 2016, the company said in a regulatory filing.

Domestic sales inched up 0.1 percent on-year to 39,158 units, while overseas sales gained 2.5 percent to 188,665 cars.

The automaker said its sales in advanced markets dwindled from a year earlier, noting its overseas sales of cars produced overseas dipped 5.4 percent on-year in February.

Sales in newly emerging markets, on the other hand, clearly recovered, it said, adding its outbound shipments of cars produced here jumped 13.3 percent last month.

In the first two months of the year, the South Korean automaker sold 426,642 cars globally, down 2.3 percent from the same period last year.

Domestic sales dipped 4.4 percent on-year to 74,170 cars over the cited period, while overseas sales slipped 1.9 percent to 352,472 vehicles, it said in a press release.

Shares of Kia Motors plunged 3.01 percent to close at 37,100 won on the Seoul bourse. The monthly sales figures were released after the local stock market closed. (Yonhap)