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TOKYO, Oct 23 (AFP): Struggling in Japan despite success elsewhere, South Korea's top carmaker Hyundai Motor is banking on the "Cool Korea" craze to boost sales by luring Japanese women who often hold the family purse strings.
The Hyundai group ranks seventh in the world, boasts the second- largest market share in India and was the best seller in the first quarter in China.
Yet in the Japanese market it has been struggling ever since its entry in 2001 as the only South Korean automaker. It sold just 2,500 vehicles in Japan last year, holding a share of less than one per cent.
Now it hopes to change that, with a little help from South Korean heart-throb Bae Yong-Joon, the new face of Hyundai's campaign for the Sonata sedan that was launched here in September.
As public relations manager for Hyundai in Japan, Momoki Tsujimura admits he has his work cut out.
"Our market share is extremely low in Japan," Tsujimura said.
He blames the weak sales on persistent discrimination here against Korea, which was a Japanese colony for 35 years until 1945, as well as poor brand recognition and a belief among consumers that imported cars should be European.
But Hyundai now has a peg to crack into Japan-a South Korean boom built on the popularity of Korean film stars and singers that has grown despite diplomatic friction over war-time memories.
Even the Sonata name evokes the hugely popular Korean TV series "Winter Sonata" featuring Bae, whom Hyundai mobilised for commercials akin to scenes from the drama.
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